An elementary part of our help is to become a sponsor. Many of the elephants are handicapped. Unhealed fractures, injuries from landmines, blindness from harsh lighting and torture and much more, they suffered during their long working life in the timber industry (now illegal), as a show elephant in the tourism industry, as a begging or temple elephant and in forced breeding. Numerous elephants could be saved from the elephant whisperer Lek Chailert and Save Elephant Foundation – short SEF. – which she founded. At the heart of the organization * Elephant Nature Park * the pachyderms, who are often very severely traumatized, receive medical care and a lot of* LOVE AND BANANAS * cared for. They come to rest here and their traumatized souls can slowly heal in the loving family network.
Below we present some of the fate of the ENP and other support options.
Our sponsorship elephants and sponsorship projects
Individual fates and small families from the Elephant Nature Park
My name is * MAE MAI * (born 1990) and I had to slave in the illegal logging industry for years. Then I was sold to an elephant riding camp and had to drag tourists. And I became pregnant. On May 2nd, 2020, labor started much too early, but I gave birth to my daughter in a good health. This tiny WAN MAI was quite a fighter from birth. Since our owner urgently needed money because of the Corona crisis, he wanted to sell us to another riding camp.
But then a miracle happened: LEK CHAILERT and their Save Elephant Foundation (SEF) were able to save us. My girl Wan MAI will never experience the brutal Phajaan and can live with me in freedom at the Elephant Nature Park (ENP). Sometimes we both can hardly believe our luck. And imagine: SRI NUAN immediately fell in love with my little one and became her nanny. Together we play, splash around, bathe, roll around in the mud and go for a walk. But we also need a lot of food – do you want to support us?
Medo - paralyzed foot
During my job in the illegal logging industry, I broke my back joint – only there was no time to heal. In the breeding station I was chained on all 4 legs and brutally raped by a bull and seriously injured. My knee joint was broken, my hip dislocated, and much more. But in 2006 my angel LEK CHAILERT and her team appeared and rescued me. They brought me to the ENP, where I found dear friends. And I love bathing in the river, because I hardly have any pain there. (I was born in 1976.)
Jokia - The Eye from Heaven
I was born in 1960 and worked in the illegal logging industry. Even when I was heavily pregnant, there was no time to rest for me. This is how the distaster happened. While pulling logs up the slope, I gave birth to my baby. It rolled down the slope and I wasn’t allowed to look after it. My baby was unable to free itself from the amniotic sac and died. When I realized that, I refused to continue working. As a punishment, I was deliberately blinded by two different mahouts and finally rescued in 1999. My best friend MAE PERM, who sadly passed away in 2016, helped me at the ENP.
Thai Koon - like the Thai Koon Steel Company
Like so many other elephants, I had to work in the illegal logging industry on the Myanmar border. I was very young when I stepped on a land mine. But I had to keep working. To relieve the insane pain, I shifted my weight to my left leg. Only – I was still growing and that’s why my foot was deformed. As you can imagine, I find it very difficult to walk. —– But in 2014 the miracle happened and Lek saved me and I came to the ENP. Here I am well looked after and have already made two friends: MAE KHAM PUAN and TILLY.
Kabu - Kham Boon - Golden Value
My mom also worked in the logging industry and I had to accompany her from the beginning. When I was 2 years old (1992), the desaster happened. A log trunk got out of hand and I couldn’t avoid it. He severely injured my left front foot. Even though the joint was broken, I did not receive any medical treatment. To relieve the pain, I shifted my weight to my right leg, which was badly deformed. I still had to continue working and later I was raped twice. My son did not survive the Phajaan and my daughter has to work for the tourists. I can’t even describe to you how I was doing. Although Lek saved me and got into the ENP in 2015, my life was full of sadness. That changed when I met Chana, my dear friend.
Thong AE
When I was 1 year old, I was separated from my mommy and had to work as a begging elephant on the street. When one of my nannies died too, all I could do was cry. I was so sad and depressed that my owner took me to the ENP (2017). And you can hardly imagine how nice it is there. I have so many lovely nannies and grandnannies. JOKIA is also such a love, I really like her and PAI LIN too. She shares the delicious rice balls with me. Yummy!
Lucky - luck
I was only 1 year old when I was already forced to perform in the circus and sometimes even twice a night 😢. And that for 30 years. Can you imagine that, performing tricks for 30 years. The glare of the headlights was so terrible and my vision got worse and worse and suddenly I couldn’t see at all – I was BLIND. My name is Lucky and that means LUCKY, but I wasn’t happy at all. Still, I had to keep working until Lek and her team, thanks to dear Holly and dear David, were able to save me. I could hardly believe it when I arrived at the ENP – what a paradise and experienced for the first time what LUCK means. will you be my godfather
If your favorite elephant is not among them, we can also organize a sponsorship of your choice. Write us!
Project sponsorships from the Save Elephant Foundation
Perhaps you are fascinated of one of these projects?
Here you can support a small group of elephants with their keeper and his family. This family is ready to keep their elephants out of the tourism business. That means: A change of mind is already taking place: Away from elephant tourism -> towards the Species-appropriate life . But this family also needs money for the daily life and for upkeep of the elephants. Only if this family earns enough money through day visitors, donations, etc., they can keep their elephants in a species-appropriate way.
Karen Elephant Serenity
is the home of a small herd that joined the SEF program in 02/2018 and therefore MAE KHAM SUK (40 y.) could give birth to her baby in freedom on March 16, 2019. HENGHENG is the lively girl’s name, which means * lots of luck * Her nanny is KHAM NOY who the little one adores. In order for HENGHENG to stay with her family, donations are urgently needed.
Surin project
Lack of job opportunities as well as the deterioration of the elephant’s natural habitat have forced many mahouts from BAN THA SOUND to take their elephants to big cities and beg on the streets. To prevent this, the SURIN PROJECT was launched in 2009 by the Save Elephant Foundation (SEF) and the administrative organization of the province of Surin.
With this sustainable salary concept, weekly pay (along with other incentives) depends entirely on the continued well-being of your elephant. Another approach involves local community work, rescue and rehabilitation programs, and educational ecotourism measures. The more popular this form of tourism becomes, the more life will improve for the captured elephants.
Surprise your darlings with a gift sponsorship.
Are you looking for an extraordinary gift? Something very special?
Then you’ll find what you’re looking for here. Whether it’s for a birthday, Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, the start of school, coming of age, Christmas, Easter or just in between… 😊
Would you like to take part in the purchase of land with your donation?
There is also an urgent need for more land to cover the Gray giants one possible Species-appropriate life enables.
Do you want to visit your god elephant?
No problem – you can choose half-day or full-day visits, depending on the project, learn a lot about the pachyderms and be close to your darlings. https://www.elephantnaturepark.org/enp/
And if you want to get to know your darlings better, want to listen to elephant conversations at night, watch and enjoy them in their natural way of life, we recommend that you volunteer. You can find out what you can experience during this time in our Blog . Martina and Oliver tell here. . .