Save Elephant Foundation Opens New Sanctuary

Retired elephants have new home

CHIANG MAI, Thailand (17 June 2013) – Five lucky elephants will have a new home come 4 July 2013. Save Elephant Foundation (SEF) today announced plans to open a new sanctuary, Erawan Elephant Retirement Park in Kanchanaburi, Thailand. The new sanctuary will open its doors to elephants in need of retirement from the tourism industry.

The first five elephants, all of whom have worked their entire lives, are set to take off their benches, unlock their chains and live the rest of their lives without work, thanks to SEF and its founder, Sangduen “Lek” Chailert.

Chailert initially visited the area – home to the biggest elephant tourism camp in the region, Sai Yok, and the largest concentration of such camps in the country, as well the infamous River Kwai and the “Death Railway” – in April 2012 to meet with elephant owners and educate them about alternative ways to care and earn money from the animals.

Within the past year, she has returned to meet with many elephant camps and teach them about positive reinforcement. Using her flagship project Elephant Nature Park (ENP) as a model, the renowned elephant conservationist showed the camp owners and staff how they can positively change the lives of the elephants. She even brought many of them to northern Thailand to visit ENP so they could see the model in person and how the elephants thrive at the popular ecotourism attraction.

“The owners I brought to the park could not believe their eyes when they saw our elephants roaming,” says Chailert. “They always thought if the elephants were unchained they would run away. Now, they see that is not what happens. Their opinions changed when they saw our herds stay together and saw that other camps in Chiang Mai are adopting our positive reinforcement methods and chain-free roaming during the day.”

Soon after, she was able to sway the camp owners and families, and finally, the mahouts, that the elephants she wanted to bring to the retirement home would be better off.

“It is not an easy job to convince the mahouts the option we can provide is better,” she says. “They may fight against it because they can still make money from their elephant. I had to educate all of them until it was a success.”

The five elephants heading to the park are former tourism elephants. Spread over 50 acres, the new facility will operate similarly to ENP and open its doors to volunteers to help maintain the retirement property and assist the mahouts with the elephants.

“We want to make a difference and would like to care for 100 elephants, but first we have to show that our model can be successful here,” says Chailert. “Because these elephants have health or mental issues from working in trekking camps, it is not an easy job. It will take work for them to acclimatize to their new lives and with a small number it is easier to show how their lives improve initially. Then, we will continue to educate camps and mahouts and show how happy their elephants can be and that they can still earn a living.”

Eventually, Chailert envisions a similar property to ENP, expanding the land and making it a self-sustainable park.

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Addressing false claims — a statement from Sangduen “Lek” Chailert on behalf of Elephant Nature Park

MEDIA STATEMENT

For immediate release

22 May 2013

The following is a statement from Save Elephant Foundation founder Sangduen “Lek” Chailert on behalf of Elephant Nature Park:

“Recently Save Elephant Foundation has come under attack by detractors seeking to discredit our work and our elephant conservation efforts. We make every effort to not get involved with politics or address false claims from those seeking to attack us because we work for the animals and that is our number one priority. These attacks regarding our foundation, our staff and our animals has been a drain on the entire foundation’s energy and taken the focus off of our animals.

It has been reported that Hope, one of our teenage male elephants, had his tusks removed, was sold and supposedly died. This statement is entirely inaccurate. Hope never had tusks and still resides at Elephant Nature Park. He was never sold from our park and no harm has ever come to him. Our park is open to the public. We have volunteers who have visited us more than a dozen times. If anything were to happen at the park, it could never be covered up. People who visit us see everything that goes on because we have nothing to hide.

Tuberculosis is a concern at our park, however none of our elephants has the disease. We open our park to university and international veterinarians and the government to regularly test our elephants for TB. Should we even suspect an elephant to have TB, the elephant would immediately go into isolation. Additionally, should any cases of TB be reported, it would be made public.

Save Elephant Foundation is a Thai registered non-profit organization. We are required by law to provide annual reports to the government providing transparency regarding our funding, our spending and our progress. Claims regarding any sort of profit are false. Our registration with the Thai government can be found on our Web site, www.saveelephant.org and our annual report can be accessed via request.

The war against us will never end so long as people continue to use jealousy and hatred to attack us. We thank all of our supporters and volunteers who believe in us and urge anyone who has questions to please contact us directly.”

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Female elephant born at Elephant Nature Park

Popular Thailand sanctuary welcomes newest addition

CHIANG MAI, Thailand – 18 April 2013 – Just after the sun sank behind the mountains in the Mae Taeng valley on 6 April 2013, trumpets and rumbles echoed throughout the jungle at Save Elephant Foundation’s (SEF) Elephant Nature Park (ENP).

A few minutes later, Dok Ngern stood over her newborn baby girl, Dok Mai, which translates to “Queen of the Flowers.” Weighing more than 113 kilos and standing at more than 93 centimeters, the leggy girl is a welcome addition to the park.

“The timing of our new girl is a blessing,” said Sangduen “Lek” Chailert, founder of SEF and ENP. “Her birth comes at a time of loss in our lives following the untimely passing of our dear friend, Adam Bromley, but also at a time of celebration as the park celebrates 10 years at its current location. Her spirit blooms within us and around us and we are so happy to have a little girl who will never endure pain or suffering.”

Dok Ngern, meaning “Silver Flower,” is no stranger to children. Her son, Chang Yim, was the second elephant to be born into freedom at the park. Rescued in 2006, the mother had a traumatic life prior to joining ENP’s herd. She was rescued by Bring the Elephant Home organization.

About Elephant Nature Park: Beyond the concrete jungle of Chiang Mai, Thailand, lies an entirely different jungle. A real jungle where lush, tree-covered mountains are home to numerous species of animals. Within this jungle is a special place — Elephant Nature Park (ENP). Unlike other tourist outfits in Thailand, ENP delivers something unique — a chance to interact with elephants without exploiting them. ENP provides a sanctuary for these creatures broken by tourism and the illegal logging industry.

Founded in 1995 by Sangduen “Lek” Chailert, ENP gives these magnificent animals a new lease on life. At ENP, there are no tricks. There are no rides. No elephant paintings can be bought. Here, these elephants are allowed to live their lives free from bull hooks, free from abuse. Home to more than 30 elephants, most of which have been saved from the tourist and illegal logging industries, the Park offers visitors the opportunity to engage with the animals. Operating daily trips to ENP, visitors can choose to spend the day, night or even more mingling with these creatures in their natural habitat. At ENP, guests can feed the elephants and bathe them, and also learn about the plight of the Asian elephant and what they can do to help. For more information, please visit Elephant Nature Park’s Web site.

About Save Elephant Foundation:A Thai non-profit organization, Save Elephant Foundation is dedicated to providing care and assistance to Thailand’s captive elephant population. It operates through a multifaceted approach, which involves local community outreach, rescue and rehabilitation programs and educational ecotourism operations. Its projects include: Elephant Nature Park, a sanctuary for more than 30 elephants, which is consistently ranked as one of Chiang Mai’s top attractions by Trip Advisor; Journey to Freedom; Surin Project; Jumbo Express; Elephant Haven; and more. For additional information about Save Elephant Foundation, please visit: www.saveelephant.org,  Facebook: www.facebook.com/saveelephantfoundation  and Twitter: @save_elephant.

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Elephant Nature Park Celebrates 10-Year Anniversary at Location

One decade, many elephants and other animals find home

CHIANG MAI, Thailand (29 March 2013) – Ten years ago, Sangduen “Lek” Chailert, founder of Save Elephant Foundation, received a donation from Bert and Christine Von Roemer to purchase a 50-acre parcel of land nestled in a valley in the gorgeous Maeteang region of northern Thailand.

This became the new home for Chailert’s burgeoning sanctuary for rescued elephants, Elephant Nature Park.

On 16 April, the park celebrates the 10-year anniversary of the purchase of this property. With nearly 100 elephants having passed through the land’s green pastures, and currently home to 34 elephants, more than 400 rescued dogs, cats, water buffalo and other animals, the park – and Chailert – have gained a reputation for being one of the leaders of animal conservation in Thailand and the world. In addition, the park and its numerous programs have helped hundreds of elephants throughout the decade.

“Ten years ago, my dream was to create a place where captive elephants could be rehabilitated and learn to be wild again,” said Chailert. “Now, to be able to see that makes my heart smile.”

To celebrate the 10-year anniversary, SEF is reaching out to those who first visited the park in 2003 and creating special events throughout the year.

Currently, the foundation has had to put a halt to the rescuing of additional elephants as the land has reached capacity. SEF is actively raising funds to purchase an additional 200 acres of land across the Maetaeng River.

“It is the goal of the foundation to purchase this land and release some of our elephants there to roam freely all of the time, as well as to rescue additional elephants in the future,” she said. “Ten years from now, I would love this to be a place where all of the elephants who live here are able to live without any human interaction.”

About Save Elephant Foundation: A Thai non-profit organization, Save Elephant Foundation is dedicated to providing care and assistance to Thailand’s captive elephant population. It operates through a multifaceted approach, which involves local community outreach, rescue and rehabilitation programs and educational ecotourism operations. Its projects include: Elephant Nature Park, a sanctuary for more than 30 elephants, which is consistently ranked as one of Chiang Mai’s top attractions by Trip Advisor; Journey to Freedom; Surin Project; Jumbo Express; Elephant Haven; Elephant Sanctuary Cambodia at the Cambodia Wildlife Sanctuary and more. The foundation is currently planning to open a new sanctuary in Myanmar. For more information and to stay up-to-date on the foundation, visit www.saveelephant.org. The foundation can be found on Facebook and Twitter.

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Elephant Nature Park Rescues Elephant from Circus

30-year-old Lucky finds new home at Thailand sanctuary

CHIANG MAI, Thailand (Feb. 13, 2013) – Thanks to Save Elephant Foundation (SEF), one elephant who spent her life performing in a circus has a new home, and a new lease on life at the foundation’s flagship project outside of Chiang Mai, Elephant Nature Park (ENP).

SEF staff and volunteers, including Founder Sanguden “Lek” Chailert, headed down to the Surin province of Thailand on Jan. 31 with a mission: to rescue Lucky, a famous circus elephant blinded by spotlights from twice-daily performances, and release her into freedom at ENP.

Approximately 48 hours later, Lucky walked off of the truck she spent 24 hours commuting in from Surin to Chiang Mai, and experienced her first steps as a free elephant. Immediately, the park’s family herd took to her, speaking with her and learning more about her with their trunks.

“We heard about Lucky a few months ago and I decided quickly this elephant needed a better life,” said Chailert. So, she assembled a team, including one of the park’s vets, and headed down to Surin to pick-up the elephant and transport her to her new home among the parks other 34 elephants.

Today, more than 10 days after her arrival, Lucky has settled in well.

“She loves to go and talk to the other elephants at the park and walk around, exploring everything the park has to offer,” said Chailert. “I am so pleased with the way she has taken to her new home.”

The rescue was made possible by a kind donation from David and Holly from British Columbia. The two recently volunteered at the park and wanted to help make a difference.

Founded in 1995 by Sangduen “Lek” Chailert, ENP gives these magnificent animals a new lease on life. At ENP, there are no tricks. There are no rides. No elephant paintings can be bought. Here, these elephants are allowed to live their lives free from bullhooks, free from abuse. Home to more than 30 elephants, most of which have been saved from the tourist and illegal logging industries, the Park offers visitors the opportunity to engage with the animals. Operating daily trips to ENP, visitors can choose to spend the day, night or even more mingling with these creatures in their natural habitat. At ENP, guests can feed the elephants and bathe them, and also learn about the plight of the Asian elephant and what they can do to help.

About Save Elephant Foundation: A Thai non-profit organization, Save Elephant Foundation is dedicated to providing care and assistance to Thailand’s captive elephant population. It operates through a multifaceted approach, which involves local community outreach, rescue and rehabilitation programs and educational ecotourism operations. Its projects include: Elephant Nature Park, a sanctuary for more than 30 elephants, which is consistently ranked as one of Chiang Mai’s top attractions by Trip Advisor; Journey to Freedom; Surin Project; Jumbo Express; Elephant Haven; Elephant Sanctuary Cambodia at the Cambodia Wildlife Sanctuary and more.

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Save Elephant Foundation Rescues Two Elephants in Cambodia

Captive elephants taken to freedom at Elephant Sanctuary Cambodia

SIEM REAP, Cambodia – February 12, 2013 – Two captive Asian elephants in Cambodia now have a new home … and a new lease on life thanks to Save Elephant Foundation (SEF).

Kham Lin and Arun Reah (formerly Etuk) were rescued during the early morning hours on Wednesday, Jan. 16, 2013 and driven across Cambodia and delivered to freedom at SEF’s Elephant Sanctuary Cambodia (ESC) at the Cambodia Wildlife Sanctuary (CWS).

The two female elephants were former captive working elephants in the Ratanakiri Prvoince and were discovered by SEF in mid-December 2012. After visiting the elephants and owners, and reviewing paperwork to ensure they were not captured from the wild, SEF was able to purchase these elephants and bring them to their new project.

“I have dreamed of having elephants at Elephant Sanctuary Cambodia since we began work on the project two years ago,” said Sangduen “Lek” Chailert, founder of SEF. “To be able to witness these two overworked elephants walk off of the trucks and into the jungle was a wonderful moment. I look forward to being able to help these two girls live the rest of their lives without ever having to work again.”

The rescue of these two elephants was made possible by a donation from Lorne and Christine Thomson.

About Cambodia Wildlife Sanctuary:CWS is a tax exempt US 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. The Sanctuary is working in partnership with a Cambodian conservation organization and founded by Sok Hong and David Casselman. Both entities are committed to the protection of the unique and precious habitat and animals of Cambodia. CWS seeks to preserve and provide a natural environment for abandoned, endangered and abused animals of this region, and to bring attention and appreciation to the habitat, wildlife, and people of the Kingdom of Cambodia. For additional information about the Cambodia Wildlife Sanctuary, please visit:www.cambodiawildlifesanctuary.com, Facebook: www.facebook.com/CambodiaWS, and Twitter: @CambodiaWS.

About Elephant Sanctuary Cambodia: Siem Reap, Cambodia is perhaps best known for the historical Angkor Wat. However, with the opening of ESC, the city will have another attraction to boast.

ESC, located approximately 100 kilometers from Angkor Wat, is a partnership between the Cambodian government, SEF and the Cambodia Wildlife Sanctuary. The aim of the project is to serve as a sanctuary for the endangered Asian elephant. In addition, ESC also serves as a home to other rescued animals, has an active reforestation program to replenish the the previously logged jungle, and works to educate and empower local communities and encourage volunteer tourism to travelers.

“Right now, our main goal is to plant more than 1 million trees to make up for the vast amounts of logging which has taken place,” said Chailert.

Situated on more than 25,000 acres, ESC’s land has seen a lot. Originally a forest, during the Cambodian-Vietnam war, it was greatly damaged. Later, the military moved in. Now, between 4,000 and 6,000 trees are logged , leaving the remnants of trees littering the jungle floor.

Similar to SEF’s Elephant Nature Park model in Chiang Mai, Thailand, the organization will help boost the local village economies by employing them at ESC, as well as work to educate them on conservation. Plans also include the construction of a school for the village’s children.

“We hope to give locals a better quality of life and to teach them there are other options to make money than by logging,” said Chailert.

ESC is currently accepting volunteers to help plant and register trees, as well as map the property. Volunteer positions run every Monday through Sunday and include either transportation from Elephant Nature Park, Bangkok or Siem Reap. The project is in need of volunteers to help change the history of Cambodia.

For more information about ESC, please visit www.saveelephant.org.

About Save Elephant Foundation: A Thai non-profit organization, Save Elephant Foundation is dedicated to providing care and assistance to Thailand’s captive elephant population. It operates through a multifaceted approach, which involves local community outreach, rescue and rehabilitation programs and educational ecotourism operations. Its projects include: Elephant Nature Park, a sanctuary for more than 30 elephants, which is consistently ranked as one of Chiang Mai’s top attractions by Trip Advisor; Journey to Freedom; Surin Project; Jumbo Express; Elephant Haven; and more. For additional information about Save Elephant Foundation and its many projects, please visit: www.saveelephant.org,  Facebook: www.facebook.com/saveelephantfoundation and Twitter: @save_elephant.

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New Baby Born at Elephant Nature Park

Park greeted with early morning birth of boy

CHIANG MAI, Thailand – October 29, 2012 – What started like any other early morning at Save Elephant Foundation’s (SEF) Elephant Nature Park (ENP) was anything but, thanks to the arrival of a baby boy elephant.

At approximately 5:30 a.m. on Sunday, Oct. 28, 2012, one of the park’s newer members of the 30-plus heard, Sri Prae, gave birth to a 97.9 kilo, 84 cm tall boy, Navann. Named after a supporter of SEF’s new Cambodia Wildlife Sanctuary, Cambodia’s Deputy Director of the Ministry of Forestry, the name translates to “gold.” Within the first hour of his birth, he was able to nurse and receive the much-needed nutrients from his mother.

“She never presented any signs she was pregnant, so we were quite surprised to hear the elephant commotion in the early morning,” said Sangduen “Lek” Chailert, the founder of SEF. “Given the long gestation period of elephants and the lack of fertile bulls at ENP upon Sri Prae’s arrival at the park, we are convinced she was already pregnant when we rescued her. We have so many false pregnancies at the park we never suspected she might have been carrying a baby.”

The park, which allows elephants to enjoy a life without performing tricks or being beaten, does not actively seek to breed elephants. However, they are allowed to live in herds as elephants would in the wild.

Navann and Sri Prae, a survivor of a land mine blast among other past atrocities, quickly had a nanny join the new family, another land mine survivor, Malai Tong. Originally, Malai Tong as a nanny to the park’s other baby boy, the three-year-old Chang Yim. However, a few months ago, Malai Tong began to get milk in her breasts and took company with Sri Prae.

For the next few months, the baby and mom will be under constant supervision to ensure they are both healthy before they are released back into the 250-acre park to roam with the other herds.

“We are so overjoyed to have this new addition,” said Chailert. “We look forward to watching him grow and eventually releasing him back into the jungle to live his adult-life as a wild and happy elephant.”

About Elephant Nature Park: Beyond the concrete jungle of Chiang Mai, Thailand, lies an entirely different jungle. A real jungle where lush, tree-covered mountains are home to numerous species of animals. Within this jungle is a special place — Elephant Nature Park (ENP). Unlike other tourist outfits in Thailand, ENP delivers something unique — a chance to interact with elephants without exploiting them. ENP provides a sanctuary for these creatures broken by tourism and the illegal logging industry.

Founded in 1995 by Sangduen “Lek” Chailert, ENP gives these magnificent animals a new lease on life. At ENP, there are no tricks. There are no rides. No elephant paintings can be bought. Here, these elephants are allowed to live their lives free from bullhooks, free from abuse. Home to more than 30 elephants, most of which have been saved from the tourist and illegal logging industries, the Park offers visitors the opportunity to engage with the animals. Operating daily trips to ENP, visitors can choose to spend the day, night or even more mingling with these creatures in their natural habitat. At ENP, guests can feed the elephants and bathe them, and also learn about the plight of the Asian elephant and what they can do to help.

About Save Elephant Foundation: A Thai non-profit organization, Save Elephant Foundation is dedicated to providing care and assistance to Thailand’s captive elephant population. It operates through a multifaceted approach, which involves local community outreach, rescue and rehabilitation programs and educational ecotourism operations. Its projects include: Elephant Nature Park, a sanctuary for more than 30 elephants, which is consistently ranked as one of Chaing Mai’s top attractions by Trip Advisor; Journey to Freedom; Surin Project; Jumbo Express; Elephant Haven; and more.

For additional information about Save Elephant Foundation, please visit:  
Web: www.saveelephant.org
 Facebook: www.facebook.com/saveelephantfoundation 
Twitter: @save_elephant

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Lek Named “Outstanding” by Thai Ministry of Culture

Sangduen Lek Chailert receives award as one of Thailand's Outstanding Women CHIANG MAI, Thailand – September 10, 2012 – There are many accolades Sangduen “Lek” Chailert has received in the past two decades. On Thursday, Sept. 6, the animal rights activist, humanitarian and founder of Save Elephant Foundation received another honor – this time from the Ministry of Culture Club.

Chailert, along with eight other women, were named Outstanding Thai Women for their promotion of Thai values and preservation of the culture.

A part of the Ministry of Culture Club’s “Recruitment Project 2012,” the honorees are being recognized for their distinctive personalities, integrity, contribution to society and being setting an example for other women to follow.

The ceremony took place at the Thailand Cultural Centre in Bangkok. The program will air Saturday, Sept. 12 from 8:30 a.m. – 9:30 a.m. on Channel 5 in Thailand.

About Sangduen “Lek” Chailert: While Sangduen Chailert’s nickname is “Lek,” meaning “small,” there is nothing small about her. As founder of Save Elephant Foundation, which operates Elephant Nature Park, Surin Project, Journey to Freedom and more, Chailert has been instrumental in leading the charge to change the way Asian elephants are treated in Southeast Asia. In 2010, Chailert was named one of six Women Heroes of Global Conservation. She was also named one of Time magazine’s “Heros of Asia” in 2005 and Ford Foundation’s “Hero of the Planet” in 2001.

For additional information about Save Elephant Foundation, please visit:
Website: www.saveelephant.org
Facebook: www.facebook.com/saveelephantfoundation
Twitter: @save_elephant

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