Elephants and Tourism Struggle with Coronavirus

Just as the pandemic was beginning in February, my husband and I traveled to Laos and Cambodia. It seems like a lifetime ago now when there was so much uncertainty. As we talked to local drivers and tour guides, they talked about this potential threat. As a driver took us to the airport through the teeming streets of Siem Reap, Cambodia, to the outskirts where it seemed the hotels just stopped, he spoke about what it could do to his livelihood if tourism was affected.

A few weeks ago I saw an article on the elephants in Thailand returning to their homes from tourist camps. Without tourists, the locals are suffering and do not have the money to pay for the land, the food, and the salaries of those who work there.

Elephants Brought us to Laos

We visited one such elephant camps in Laos. It was one of the reasons we visited the region. They are a vital – and tricky – part of the culture of Thailand and Laos, once known as Land of a Million Elephants or Lan Xang. There are only about 800 Asian elephants left. About half live in the wild and half are kept by humans. Some are used for logging and others are used for tourism. Both can be hard on the elephants.

We had seen contestants of The Amazing Race riding elephants in Laos. It looked amazing and my husband tapped on his phone and within minutes found the location.

“They are sending me a coupon for 20 percent off,” he said.

Within months we had booked our trip to Luang Prabang, Laos. But as we learned more about the place and its people, we realized we didn’t want to take part in riding the elephants.

Researching Ethical Elephant Tourism

As we had watched the contestants riding the elephants we assumed it was ethical, since it looked more humane than other methods, where elephants were fit with giant “howdah” chairs, but as we researched more, I just didn’t feel comfortable riding elephants even bareback.

Often elephants are beaten into submission or chained in order to get to the point where they would allow a human to ride them. And, even though they are large animals, supporting humans, with or without a howdah on their back is painful.

I began to search for a place where we could spend time with elephants without compromising our integrity.

Where Conservation is More Than a Catchphrase

Though a lot of the tourist spots used the word “sanctuary” or “ecological”, Mandalao Elephant Conservation provides refuge to elephants and does not use the word conservation lightly. Elephants there have been rescued from other tourist facilities or logging camps.

Here they roam free and do only what elephants do naturally. That is eat, play, walk, and poop, according to our guide. Any tourist interaction here is centered around the elephant and what the things they need to do to maintain a healthy weight. We signed up for the Communicating with Elephants tour, which was described as feeding snacks to the elephants and then walking with them through the jungle. I knew I was doing the right thing by not riding the elephants, but I was a little afraid I would have minimal time with the elephants. I was so wrong about that!

Up Close and Personal with the Elephants

Mandalao, is about a half-hour away from where we were staying in Luang Prabang, on the banks of the Nam Kahn river. On the way there we were filled in on what was to come and many facts about the elephants. It was clear how much our local guide knew and loved these animals. On our tour, there was only one other couple from France and the four of us first sat down with the Project Director, Prasop Tippraser.

He was a founder of the Thai Elephant Conservation Center and an expert who told us about the work they do and his work with elephants for 30 years. He created the center’s positive reinforcement training which uses no hooks or tools to make elephants respond, just bananas. Later we noticed one of the elephants we met had a scar from a bullhook at another camp, a hole in one of her ears.

We next made banana treats for the elephants, combining sticky rice, tamarind, and salt and inserting into a baby banana before heading across the river to where the elephants live chain-free. When we arrived, two female elephants, Mae Tu and Mae Mahn, who would be our companions for the afternoon were bathing in the river.

After they joined us up on the banks, behind only a tiny wooden fence, we fed them bananas from the basket we brought over with us. They grabbed them with their trunks like muscular little fingers and it was like nothing I had ever experienced before. They ate and ate and ate until there were no more bananas. Then, the fun continued as we walked with them through the woods for another 45 minutes or so.

As they walked, they explored, stopping, grabbing at branches, and dusting their wet bodies with dirt. And we were right there with them. Any concerns I had about not spending enough time with them was definitely not warranted. We had so much time with them, we hugged and kissed them, and it was definitely an experience I will never forget.

Tourism is Struggling

As with the elephants in Thailand, the tourists at Mandalao have stopped coming. They have decided to keep their elephants and have received some grants, but need help to support the elephants and the mahouts that work with them. It costs about $500 a month to feed one elephant, and they have 13 elephants, a total of $6,500 a month. As such, they have started a Go Fund Me campaign. You can also learn more about them through the video at that page.

Yes! You Can Join My E-mail List

Email address:

I consent to having catherinelanser.com add my email to their mailing list.

Leave this field empty if you’re human:

CambodiCoronavirusLaosMandalaoThailand