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Visit an Ethical Elephant Sanctuary in Chiang Mai

With the growing public awareness of the need to conserve the elephant population of Thailand, there is also a need to ensure that you support the ethical treatment of elephants as well.

Rachel Branson · 25 November 2019 · 3 min read

Visit an Ethical Elephant Sanctuary in Chiang Mai
With the growing public awareness of the need to conserve the elephant population of Thailand, there is also a need to ensure that you support the ethical treatment of elephants as well. Elephant Jungle Sanctuary is an ethical elephant sanctuary in Chiang Mai. It has earned the respect of the conservation community around the world for how they provide for the elephant's welfare and well-being.

Visitor’s Need for Due Diligence

Unfortunately, with every new and growing cause, comes a host of unethical people whose only goal is to make money off of that cause. Animal sanctuaries are no exception. Visitors to Chiang Mai interested in visiting an elephant sanctuary need to perform their due diligence to ensure they’re only supporting an ethical elephant sanctuary in Chiang Mai. Elephant Jungle Sanctuary (EJS) has four sanctuaries in Thailand, located in Chiang Mai, Pattaya, Samui, and Phuket. This organization has also created the Elephant Clinic and Hospice. With the establishment of this facility, the administrators of EJS have reached out to veterinarians all across Thailand. They've succeeded in establishing a network that works to provide medical treatment and care for any elephants in need.

Visitor’s Need for Due Diligence

It’s rewarding to see the effects that this medical care has resulted in at the sanctuary in Chiang Mai. Although the physical scars of their past abuse and mistreatment are still visible, the resident elephants all are well-fed and happy in their new surroundings and new life. The elephants are also healthy and well-tended to. They enjoy a daily routine of socializing with other elephants, playing, bathing and eating. The mothers tend to their young while assisted by numerous ‘aunties’ in the herd. This is how they would live in the wild. But because of their past lives working in the tourism industry, they are no longer able to take care of themselves in the forest. They have lost the ability to be wild elephants.

Scheduling a Visit to Elephant Jungle Sanctuary

Elephant Jungle Sanctuary has several visitor programs to choose from, and each program guarantees you of a quality experience with the elephants. You can choose from a morning or afternoon visit. These visits provide with half a day’s worth of interacting with these magnificent, intelligent animals. You can also choose to spend the whole day, or even spend an overnight visit with the elephants. With each of these visits, the only thing you need to bring is a swimsuit, towel, a change of clothes and sunscreen. You can bring a camera or phone along with you, but there is a photographer on hand, from which you can purchase photos if you're worried about your camera getting wet. Elephant Jungle Sanctuary provides water and two Thai buffet meals during each visit. It’s heartening to see the outpouring of support the world is beginning to show for these gentle giants. But it’s up to everyone in the Chiang Mai community as well as tourists to ensure that only ethical elephant sanctuaries in Chiang Mai continue to prosper.   
Rachel Branson

Written by

Rachel Branson

Founder & Editor-in-Chief

Rachel Branson is the Founder of Haywood Media and Editor-in-Chief of Wellbeing Magazine and Roam, with more than twenty years’ experience exploring health, wellbeing and the changing global wellness landscape.

All stories by Rachel Branson

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