An Elephant Encounter To Remember

When you visit Chiang Mai, Thailand, I highly recommend a trip to the Thai Elephant Conservation Center. It is one of the most memorable experiences my young family had ever had and there were more to see and do than I had anticipated.

First, the Elephant Conservation Center is a camp for retired elephants run by a non-profit organization. All the receipts from ticket and souvenir sales goes into the running of the camp and the on-site hospital for the elephants. These aged elephants, who once worked day and night at logging camps, are taken in by the center to be cared for. The camp serves as a sanctuary, providing a haven for these magnificent creatures to live out their lives with dignity and care.

The first thing we did at the Center was the elephant ride through the lush forest. I was apprehensive at first as I did not feel safe sitting in an open carriage set on the backs of these gentle giants, but our young son got a kick out of it. The carriage swayed a little as the elephants ambled along the trails. It had rained that morning, so the ground was wet and each time the elephant put its foot down, it skidded just a tad before stabilizing. Eventually the surroundings captured my attention and I started to enjoy the ride. The elephant moved gracefully, its massive feet making almost no sound as it navigated the dense vegetation, guided expertly by its mahout (handler) perched on its neck.

We crossed a river where the elephant stopped momentarily to spray water on a passing fellow elephant. At one point, the mahout got down and directed the creature to move past him while he took a video of me and my family. I was amazed at how well the elephant took his instructions.

After the exhilarating elephant ride, we cruised down the picturesque river on a hand-made bamboo raft. Our guide dragged a long pole through the gentle currents and the raft drifted lazily as we soaked in the serene atmosphere.

Back at the camp, we were treated to an amazing display of the elephants’ exceptional skills. We watched a team of elephants marching in time to music, balancing on its hind legs (mind you, these are not circus animals) and playing soccer with surprising dexterity. There was a comical moment when the guide asked if any of the spectators would be willing to be massaged by an elephant. A Japanese tourist jumped up instantly and was invited into the arena where he was made the lie down on mat next to a lumbering giant. Brave, I thought. Just as the elephant raised its paw over the man, the guide blew a whistle and baby elephant trotted into the arena and took over the massaging of the man with its trunk. The crowd burst into laughter.

Just when we thought we had seen it all, nine elephants marched out led by their mahouts carrying easels and cans of paint. We were about to be given a demonstration of elephants painting. At first, I thought they were were going to fling paint onto the canvas creating some abstract art but no. These elephants skillfully held the paintbrush with their trunks and drew trees, flowers and even elephants. I could tell the spectators were mesmerized by their oohs and aahs. I honestly do not know how they could be trained to do that and you had to see it to believe it. Thankfully we have a video showing the remarkable sight.

Elephant painting

The visit gave us an insight into how these aged elephants are treated with love and respect and given a safe environment to live in. The mahouts forge a deep bond with their charges, nurturing a relationship built on trust and understanding. We like how the camp ensures the elephants’ needs are met with proper diet, exercise and medical attention. This had not been just a fun adventure but an educational outing as well. And we took home a painting that we would cherish forever.