Our Staff
Sangduen "Lek" Chailert
Founder - Save Elephant Foundation
When Lek was a young child, growing up in a jungle village of northern Thailand, her family received an elephant as a gift and it quickly became an integral and important part of the family. As a teenager, Lek witnessed the cruelty towards these wonderful animals, and ever since, she has dedicated her life to rescuing and protecting them.
She strongly believes that every being, human and animal, deserves our respect. It is this belief that motivates Lek and the people who work beside her at the Save Elephant Foundation. One project at a time, she's working hard to make Thailand, and the world, and better place.
Her nickname, Lek, means "small" in Thai and when you meet her in person, you'll understand it's because of her physical size, as it's obvious her presence and capacity for caring is anything but!
Pom
Operations Manager, Elephant Nature Park
Day in and day out, Pom oversees all aspects of Elephant Nature Park and ensures that everything flows smoothly. From managing payroll of more than 100 employees to making sure that visitors and volunteers are safe, she quietly goes about her business from her picnic table.
Pom has been a lifelong friend of Lek's, and has been an essential part of Elephant Nature Park's success. She leads volunteers on overnight trips to Elephant Haven, telling elephant stories by the campfire. At bathtime, you'll often see her standing on the sidelines, watching over the elephants that have clearly adopted her as one of the herd.
Wi
Head Mahout, Elephant Nature Park
As Head Mahout at Elephant Nature Park, Wi works hard to ensure that all visitors, volunteers, mahouts, and especially the elephants, are happy and safe. Understanding the behaviors of each elephant in the herd and how they interact with others is extremely important when organizing feeding and bathing schedules.
It's clear that Wi enjoys his job, and ensuring that everyone has a great day is made easier by his wonderful smile!
Veterinary Staff
Elephant Nature Park
Led by veterinarians Dr. Prasith and Dr. Rinku, the medical staff at Elephant Nature Park works hard to ensure that all of our animals are in the best possible health. From treating landmine injuries in the Elephant Clinic to vaccinating and sterilizing dogs and cats in ENP's Small Animal Clinic, our team of vets and medical staff are always busy!
Taking care of so many animals, big and small, is an elephant-sized undertaking. If you'd like to help, consider purchasing a medical kit or sponsoring one of the park's animals.
Mahouts
Elephant Nature Park
The mahouts at Elephant Nature Park are definitely some of the most loving elephant caretakers in the world! Using only positive reinforcement, they supply tons of food and love to reward good behavior, while ignoring the trouble elephants can find themselves in. The commitment, respect and dedication our mahouts have to the elephants of our herd help make Elephant Nature Park a world-class sanctuary.
Find our mahouts on Facebook, and keep up to date with what they're up to! Like the Mahouts today!