The Elephant Jungle Sanctuary in Chiang Mai is a well-known ethical elephant sanctuary where visitors can learn about and interact with rescued elephants in a natural, compassionate setting. Unlike traditional elephant attractions, the sanctuary emphasizes the welfare of the elephants, aiming to protect them from exploitation and mistreatment.
Education: You’ll learn about the elephants’ background, the challenges they face in Thailand, and the sanctuary’s efforts to provide a safe, sustainable life for the elephants.
Interaction with Elephants: Visitors can feed, bathe, and walk with the elephants in their natural habitat, giving you a chance to bond with these majestic animals in a respectful and non-exploitative way.
Elephant Care: The sanctuary offers insights into the health and care of the elephants, explaining how they are rehabilitated after years of mistreatment, whether from the logging industry or tourism exploitation.
No Riding: One key feature of this sanctuary is that it does not allow elephant riding, which is often harmful to the animals.
Environmental Focus: The sanctuary works to conserve both elephants and the surrounding ecosystem, so you’ll likely get an understanding of the broader environmental efforts.
A very cold shower to get the mud off after bathing the elephants.
A river bath