Protect & Feed Thailand’s Elephants
Protect Asian elephants from a life of begging on city streets: help provide food and care in elephant sanctuaries.
Elephants have been revered in Thai culture for thousands of years. These intelligent giants once helped their mahouts (those who work with and care for them) with farming, construction, and more, but as new technologies emerged, most found themselves restricted to logging. Then, in 1990, Thailand outlawed logging to preserve what little forest it had left.
Suddenly, thousands of domesticated elephants and their mahouts had no means to earn a living. Many were forced to the streets to beg – an unhealthy existence which does not provide enough food for the elephants, who need to eat 400-500 pounds of quality vegetation every single day.
Turning elephants loose in the wild is not an option, as there is not enough habitat left for even basic survival. Stepping in to help, the Elephant Nature Foundation is working hard to create and maintain elephant sanctuaries where these gentle behemoths will be able to roam freely, and where their mahouts are paid a living wage to maintain the sanctuary – a winning scenario all around.
You can help this wonderful project! Donations to this Gift That Gives More provides food and care for elephants in Thailand.