The Elephant Mahout Project
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- About The Camp
- Meet Our Elephants
- Meet The Mahouts
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- 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
| The Elephant Mahout Project |
The elephant mahout project, based at Lake View Elephant Camp 15km south of Pattaya, is situated opposite the impressive Khao Chee Chan Buddha Image engraving amidst royal forestry. Nearby attractions include Silverlake vineyard, Wat Yan and Viharn Sien Chinese Temple. The elephant camp itself was established at the end of 2006 as a home for Thai domestic elephants and their mahouts, enabling them to offer elephants treks for tourists through the surrounding forest. Elephants have long held a revered place in Thai history and culture, being an important part of warfare, Buddhism and a national symbol of the kingdom. With the decline of the logging industry, however, elephants and their mahouts were faced with a difficult future, with their source of income taken away and no immediate alternative visible. Tourism appeared to offer an answer, but here there were problems too. In order to make a living many mahouts working at tourist camps are forced to overwork their elephants, often in searing heat and with no time to give the elephant's food or water. Even worse some mahouts took their elephants onto the city streets where they beg by selling bananas or photographs with the elephant. The elephant mahout projects aims to make a difference. By offering people the chance to get really close to elephants it aims to raise awareness of the importance of these intelligent creatures at the same time as raising funds to support them. The camp offers the usual elephant trekking through the forest where tourists ride in a chair on the elephants back. There are opportunities to get much closer though, including the volunteer project where volunteers spend up to 4 weeks following a progressive training course working with one elephant throughout, learning how to ride and command the elephant and care for its every need - feeding, showering and cleaning its living areas. At the end of their time at the project volunteers leave with a certificate as proof of their new found skills! For those with less time there is a 1/2 or full day elephant care experience - suitable for children - which enables you to walk through the forest with these gentle giants, enjoy a couple of treks through the forest - riding on their necks if you are up for it - and helping to feed, shower and keep the elephants area tidy. The project is run by 2 Thai nationals and an English volunteer who first arrived at the camp as a volunteer - and has never left Even if you are not able to spend a few hours or more at the project the camp welcomes visitors and will happily introduce you to the elephants, including 2 male babies. As a non-profit organisation the project welcomes donations, including building materials to create the 'on the wish list' education and medical centres and more houses to enable more mahouts to bring their elephants to the project. The project is in the early stages of development but hopes to make a big difference to the lives of the elephants, their mahouts and families living there at present and those that we hope to be able to offer help to in the future. For more information please contact us |