Elephant Nature Park

1 first glimpse

My second full day in Chiang Mai I went to the Elephant Nature Park, which has apparently gotten so big (caring for over 100 elephants) that they have sub-parks who look after a few each and do experiences where people can visit. I chose “Care for Elephants” as I could feed and help wash the elephants. They picked me up at and I was expecting several other tourists, but there was only one, a fellow adventurous solo woman traveler named Anita who was from Germany. That explains why they cancelled my tour yesterday and moved me to today. It must be very slow now with tourists only allowed in through the Phuket 7-day sandbox and no tourists for almost 2 years.

elephant crossing sign

The drive out to the park was long, over an hour, but when I saw the “elephant crossing” sign I knew we were close! Now THIS is really what an elephant park should be. The majority of the elephants have hectares of land for them to roam on during the day before coming in at night to be fed leaves, watermelon, and squash plus get clean water. We met/saw some of them during the day, and our guide said that sometimes they have to look very hard to find them to bring them in.

1 Cutting up fruit for them

The elephants we were visiting were in a very large pen area (see pics) and we were quickly put to work cutting up pineapple and watermelon to feed them. The three we visited were Thaddao the one in her prime at 45, Maedok (older about 60, so pretty skinny), and Saithong (who has rotting teeth and is 55 so she does not eat as much and is also skinny). Saithong had special rindless ones already prepped and we fed them by either placing it in their trunk/nose which can grip small items (they wrap their trunk around larger items) or by stuffing it directly into their mouths where their giant tongue lolls about, sweeping it deeper inside to chew. We then mixed bananas, rice, nutritional pellets, and some cooked squash into huge balls and fed them those as well.

1 me with all three

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feeding the elephants

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walking with elephants

After that it was time to lead them to a grazing area, quite far away. They were encouraged along with occasional bananas and whichever elephant I was walking with would constantly be holding our her trunk asking to be fed. Elephants are constantly eating and really like sweet foods. I have always loved elephants and perhaps it is because we have so much in common! We walked along a river, where we saw some elephants and cattle hanging out on the other side. On the way back, they had crossed the river to our side and the youngest one was a bit curious so it came pretty close to say hello before the guides urged it back over to the other side. I don’t know if elephants always walk with their feet closer to the center or whether it was just that they were on a trail that was sort of narrow. A few dogs came with us and occasionally plunged into the undergrowth around us.

2 heading out from the yard

2 leading the elephants

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2 elephant saying hello or do you have food

please give me food

using foot to hold stalk to strip it

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3 me with elephant

other elephants at neighboring places

3 my lunch

Once we got them settled into the grazing area, we headed uphill to an overlook area for lunch. We had a gorgeous view of the valley. Of course this means we had to climb many steps. Anita breezed right up and I was determined to keep up but was definitely tired at the end. Another reminder that I need to get in shape before Nepal! They had a nice spread for us and we settled onto cushions on the floor, looking out at the view as we ate. After lunch we went back down and washed the elephants in the river. Some water wars were started by our guide who washed us at least as much as he did the elephants. For future reference, do NOT get in a water war with him as he clearly has a lot of experience and can shovel 4 or 5 buckets at me in the time it took me to get one, and far more accurately!

the lunch spread

lunch overlooking the valley

3 elephant giving some love to Anita

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4 elephants have crossed the river

three elephants wandered our way

two headed back but not baby

4 young elephant checking us out

2 elephant requesting food end of trunk view which we saw a lot

path across stream

watermelons ready for cutting

After walking back with the elephants (they replenished our bags of bananas to use as incentive), we changed to dry clothes and said goodbye to “Care for Elephants.” We did get a little shopping in first as they had great t-shirts and also more poo paper, yay! Our guide took us to the Elephant Park headquarters where we saw the massive amount of food they prep every day for all the elephants in the park and sub-parks. There were several hug pots to boil squash and rice, people cutting up mountains of bananas and watermelon plus more in storage areas, and a giant water purifier for the elephants.

prepping bananas at HQ

water purifier for elephants

baby saying hello

Then we got to see the baby elephants! They have more than one right now and we got to see two of them. We had to keep our distance even if the baby came towards us or else the parents would become alarmed at a stranger getting too close. And no one wants a momma elephant angry with you! Once they went in for their feeding in the pen, we were able to get closer. Either because we were outside so less of a threat or because the parents were too distracted as they were eating. As you can see one of the baby was quite interested in me and stuck a nose out to check me out! I am so glad these folks do what they do to help keep elephants from being misused and to give working elephants a good “retirement.” I highly recommend anyone do a tour like this if they come to Thailand. It’s pricey, $180 or so, but it goes to a good cause. This is definitely not a “for profit” place, it’s really all about helping the elephants as it was 20 years ago when friends of mine came (that’s how I learned about them).

baby elephant with parents

smaller baby with mom

baby and parents

baby elephant

offereing food to small baby

baby being curious