Laos and its remaining elephants
Laos was formerly known as Lane Xang, the “land of a million elephants” and is one of the last natural habitats of the Asian elephant. Around 600-700 elephants still live in the whole of Laos, less than 200 of them wild in the jungle and around 400-500 in human hands.
As in other countries, their numbers have fallen sharply here, mainly due to the destruction of their habitat and poaching. The increase in agriculture and deforestation are reducing their protected areas and therefore increasingly leading to conflicts with the population.
The approximately 400-500 elephants that live in human hands are primarily used for heavy forestry work (rosewood and teakwood) since forest clearing (profits from rosewood and teakwood) is legal in Laos. Few elephants are used in the tourism industry, but few are always too many. Fortunately, a change of heart towards ethical tourism has also begun in some camps in Laos.
One focus of the spread of wild and working elephants is the province of Sayabouri (Xaignabouri), where most elephants are said to be and where the elephant festivals have been held since 2007. The rest of the wildlife is distributed among the remaining protected areas in other provinces.
The elephant population is around 600-700 elephants. Of these, less than 200 live in the wild and 400-500 in human hands.
Source: authority Laos – 2022
Elephant Sanctuary Laos
The sanctuary was founded in 2019 by Lek Chailert, who has been running the Save Elephant Foundation for 25 years. This new refuge is located in a beautiful valley on a river that flows into the Mekong, in the province of Sayabouri.
First Phoon Me was rescued, then Boon Hom, two very close female elephant friends who had to work in a trekking camp until 2018. Thong Khoon came in 2019 and in October 2021 Kham Suan and Khammone with their baby Suk Dee.
Here the elephants can finally be what they are: Elephants. This means: in the morning they have a little pampering breakfast and then it’s off into the surrounding forests, where they can spend the whole day and lead a normal elephant life with eating, bathing, relaxing, walking, etc. Between 4 and 5 o’clock the whole herd arrives with their mahouts and a delicious dinner is served.
In order to be able to continue to enable this small herd to lead such a wonderful life, donations are urgently needed. The Elis would also be very happy about a sponsorship especially
THONG KOON
Suk Dee with Mama Khammone and Nanny Kham Suan were retrieved by their owner on June 13.
Not only the elephants have found shelter here 
but also around 20 cows, 27 goats, 5 rabbits, 27 chickens, 60 ducks, 2 geese and 3 turkeys have been saved from the slaughterhouse and can enjoy their lives here. Of course, 10 dogs, 21 cats, 4 donkeys and 14 turtles also found a loving home. A small team is very committed to ensuring everyone’s well-being day after day.
And when this sweet little cat with lame hind legs came to LAOS Sanctuary, it was immediately decided to build him his own little kingdom. Look how lovingly designed his new home.
