The Elephant Mahout Project
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- About The Camp
- Meet Our Elephants
- Meet The Mahouts
- Visit The Project
- Half/Full Day Experience Programmes
- Meet The Project Team
Volunteers
- Learn how to be a Mahout
- The role of the volunteer
- Sustainable Tourism
- Volunteers Daily Schedule
- Elephant Training Schedule
- Accommodation
- What To Bring
- Local amenities
- Additional Information
- What It Costs to Volunteer
- Booking Form
- The Pa-Kam ceremony
- Volunteers Photo Gallery
How You Can Help The Elephant Mahout Prohject
Elephant Facts
- History & Spirituality
- Anatomy
- Behavior
- Relationships
- The Differences Between Asian & African Elephants
Education
- School Visits
- Student Trips - residential & non-residential
- Volunteer Vet Placements
- Teaching English
Services
Useful Thai Information
Places To Visit
- Khao Chee Chan/Buddha Mountain
- Wat Yansangwararam
- Viharnra Sien
- Siricharoen Forest Project
- Tourist Attractions Around Pattaya
Testimonals
Here's what some of our volunteers
have to say about The Elephant Mahout Project more
Disclaimer
Press Release
| About The Camp | |||||||||||
Lake View Elephant Camp is situated opposite the Khao Chee Chan Buddha Image (also known as Buddha Mountain) 15km south of Pattaya on the eastern gulf of Thailand. Currently home to 16 elephants meet our elephants the camp was established in November 2006 to offer a working alternative to mahouts and their elephants so that they do not have to beg on the streets, work as performing elephants or be overworked in tourist camps. |
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When logging was made illegal in Thailand many elephants and their mahouts (elephant trainers & handlers) were left without their profession and source of income. As a result of this two things happened: 1. Mahouts were forced to take their elephants onto city streets to beg by selling food for the elephants and photographs with them. This is dangerous for the elephants as living and working within a city and it's pollution causes respiratory problems, there are also dangers from traffic. Some mahouts will also feed their elephants amphetamines to make them work longer hours and there is not adequate food or grazing ground within a city, forcing the elephants to live under bridges and beside busy roads. 2.Tourist camps were set up offering elephant trekking and rides on the elephants. Unfortunately many of these camps, in order to make money, overwork the elephants offering rides and treks all day long in intense heat, allowing the elephants insufficient time to eat and drink - an elephant eats 200kg of food per day. It takes a long time to do that! The elephants also have to wear their 'tourist chairs' all day which can damage their spine. |
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The elephant mahout project works with Lake View Elephant Camp to provide a safe working and living environment for the elephants, their mahouts and families. Through our volunteer and elephant care experience projects we raise money for the elephants and mahouts to provide food, comfortable and adequate care and medical assistance. |
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We also aim to re-educate mahouts that may have been trained to mistreat their elephants (by them working alongside experienced mahouts) and provide education for tourists, locals and children about the importance of the Thai domestic elephant. Aims of the elephant mahout project - Provide a safe working and living environment for Thai domestic elephants, their mahouts and families. - Provide the mahouts with a regular salary so they are not forced to overwork their elephants or beg on the streets. - Re-educate mahouts that have been trained to mistreat their elephants. - Educate tourists and locals visiting the camp about the importance of maintaining the Thai domestic elephant. - Generate extra income to provide sufficient food and medical care for the elephants, mahouts and their families. - Provide a means of sustainable food for the elephants by providing a truck that the mahouts can use to collect their own pineapple leaves - at present each mahout has to pay 500 baht (€10) per week for pineapple leaf collection and delivery. - Create an education centre to inform visiting tourists, locals and schoolchildren of the importance of and difficulties faced by the Thai domestic elephants and their mahouts. - Develop a dedicated elephant medical centre that can also be used by elephant camps in the surrounding area
The Elephant Mahout Project at Lake View Elephant Camp is a work in progress. Eventually we would like that the elephants here do not have to wear their tourist chairs to take people for rides, but that everyone visiting us will take part in at least the Half Day Elephant Care Experience. Anyone that supports the project, either by taking part in the Volunteer Project Elephant Adoption Donations or Corporate Sponsorship is helping us towards our goal. |
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