Cultivating Compassion: Chai Lai Orchid and Ethical Elephant Tourism
This is the second part of a series on the work Chai Lai Orchid and Daughters Rising. While the first part provides background information and explores how these organizations empower women and girls in northern Thailand, this part focuses on Chai Lai‘s approach towards ethical elephant tourism.
Growing up in Germany, I heard a lot about elephants when I was a kid. I knew that they are big, powerful and that they live in exotic countries. There even is a children’s story on the adventures of an elephant that I would listen to. However, I didn’t really have the chance to get close to these animals.
Now that I’m a volunteer at Chai Lai Orchid, I‘m around elephants every day. I get to approach them, feed them, and touch them. And just like me, many people that come to Thailand want to experience these animals close up.
Elephants take up an important role in many Asian cultures. They appear in religious traditions and mythologies and symbolize strength and wisdom. One of the most popular gods in Hindu culture is Ganesha, who possesses a human body with the head of an elephant.
Furthermore, elephants are an important part of society. In Thailand, they are a symbol of national identity, and for decades they have been used to work in agriculture and the logging industry. However, when wood harvesting was banned in 1989, many elephants were put out of work.
The elephant keepers had to find new ways to make a living. They moved closer to the big cities such as Chiang Mai and Bangkok and noticed that tourists were eager to buy food in order to feed the elephants. The rise of elephant tourism had begun.
Elephant tourism is now an important source of income for Thailand, and the situation of elephants in this industry is quite complex. Right now, approximately 3.800 elephants are living in captivity throughout the country.
The elephants are often held in so-called sanctuaries, frequently criticized for using unethical methods in keeping the animals. Some of the places might offer activities such as performances, which put the animals under a lot of stress.
Furthermore, Southeast Asia lacks natural habitat, which makes it difficult to release captive elephants into the wild. That’s why it is important to set ethical standards for elephant tourism in Thailand.
At Chai Lai, every visitor can sense that there is a high degree of empathy regarding the work with elephants. The animals enjoy low-stress activities such as feeding or bathing. This makes them very calm and approachable.
Furthermore, a significant contributor to the animals‘ well-being is the environment. Chai Lai provides open space, forests, and rivers. Finally, being surrounded by other animals and having a loving relationship with their caretaker is crucial in Chai Lai‘s approach.
The caretaker or keeper of an elephant is also called Mahout. Their tasks include feeding, training, and guiding the elephants. Furthermore, they are able to give commands and interpret the elephants‘ moods.
Their work requires a high degree of physical strength and experience. In the best-case scenario, they form a strong bond with the elephant that lasts a lifetime.
One of the Mahouts at Chai Lai Orchid is Tiger. He is 26 years old, comes from the local Karen village, and has been working in the job for seven years. His family owns four of the elephants that are kept at Chai Lai Orchid.
He has many responsibilities, such as conducting tours and ensuring, there is enough food for the elephants. “It’s a simple life, but I enjoy it.“, Tiger tells me. „I’m around my family, and Chai Lai is doing a good job in caring for the elephants and its employees.”
The deep relationship between humans and elephants at Chai Lai is touching. During my time as a volunteer, one of the elephants — Seavoy — unfortunately, passed away. She was over 70 years old and had been at the resort since the beginning.
The day after Seavoy passed, I noticed a different atmosphere at Chai Lai. There was sadness and grief that one could sense among staff members. To me, it is a testament to the emotional connection these animals enjoy at Chai Lai. They are part of a family.
Furthermore, these mystical animals bring so much joy to humans. Whenever I come close to an elephant, I feel lighter. And I heard that other people had similar experiences. I believe it’s because these animals carry a lot of weight, and this energy radiates outward.
If you want to learn more about Chai Lai Orchid or you‘re interested in volunteering, visit their homepage: https://chailaiorchid.com.
Thank you for reading this article. The next part will be an interview with the founder of Chai Lai Orchid, Alexa Pham. If you enjoy my writing, please follow my profile on Medium.
