Welcome To
An elephant rescue and rehabilitation center in Northern Thailand
Elephant Nature Park (ENP) is an elephant rescue and rehabilitation center in Northern Thailand, founded by renowned elephant rights advocate, Saengduean Chailert, known by her nickname Lek.
It is the first ethical elephant sanctuary of its kind established in Asia and currently provides a caring home to many elephants from street begging, elephant riding, and circus shows, where they often sustained both physical and psychological injuries.
The park’s herds include blind, crippled, orphaned, and senior elephants who are now free to live a peaceful life in natural surroundings, where they are loved and respected.
Day trips, stay overnight or a weekly stay program
Starts: 07:30-08:00am from Hotel or 07:30am from Office
2,500 THB (Child up to age 11 - 50%)
Starts: 12:00pm-12:30pm from Hotel or 11:45am from Office
Return: 4:30 - 5:00pm
3,500 THB (Child up to age 11 - 50%)
Starts: 08:00-08:30am from Hotel or 08:00am from Office
Return: 5:30 pm
5,800 THB (Child up to age 11 -50%)
Return: 5:00 pm
3,500 THB (Child 4 - 11 yrs -50%)
Starts: 08:00-08:45am from Hotel or 08:00am from Office
Return: 6:00pm
6,000 THB (no children)
3,500 THB (no children)
Starts: 08:00-08:30am from Hotel or 09:00am from Office
15,000 THB (no children)
Elephant Nature Park offers ethical half day tours, full day tours as well as overnight with full board accommodation, to stay close to the elephants at the park. Weekly stay Participants learn about elephant care and behavior, cut grass and cornstalks for the elephants, wash and prepare fruit and other food for our herds, learn to make an elephant fruit cake, clean their shelters, help with maintenance tasks around the park, as well as with other projects designed to support the elephants.
This program offers participants an enriching experience with time to observe elephants living a more natural life in an environment of respect, trust, and kindness.
After several days apart, Faa Mai and the little ones rejoiced in seeing Mother Lek! Especially Faa Mai, who rushed to pull Lek close, grabbing onto her hat string and leading her along while enjoying being serenaded with a lullaby.
Grandma Jokia is having so much fun playing with the suspended tires and is no doubt glad to have the joyful company of little Lek Lek, who is rubbing against the log nearby. Jokia lives a full and happy life despite her blindness and is relishing her role as nanny to baby Lek Lek.
On a beautiful morning, kissed by sunlight and a cool breeze, the lovely Khamla lies down on the grass, soaking up the warmth, while her family watches over her protectively. Even though Khamla has grown into a young adult, she is still the youngest in her herd. To them, she remains their little one, the heart of their family, cherished by all.
Watch those joyful tails swing! The happy herd savor their treats in a wave of harmonious satisfaction.
Despite being completely blind, Jokia moves with natural confidence, navigating her surroundings with ease. As one of the first elephants to be rescued by Lek, her many years at Elephant Nature Park have given her a strong sense of familiarity, security, and trust. Such a gorgeous old girl.
After a refreshing dip in the river, Thong Ae – aka Butterfly Girl – was in an especially cheerful mood while taking her ritual dust bath! Her playful charm, relishing every moment, put a smile on the faces of everyone looking on—her happiness is truly contagious!
The coordinated grace of the Khamla herd is beautiful to witness. This single-file marching, sometimes called a "trunk-to-tail" procession, is common in matriarchal herds. Infrasound hums through the herd, syncing every step.
MalaiThong has been watching the little ones have fun with the tire, and today she decided it was her turn to join in! She couldn’t resist the excitement and had a wonderful time playing. It’s wonderful to see her playful side shine!
Elephant Nature Park sends our thoughts and support to everyone affected by today’s earthquake in Thailand and Myanmar. We hope you all stay safe, take care, and remain vigilant.
The Touch of Love ❤️
Male elephants in musth typically exhibit irritability and aggression, making this a dangerous period where mahouts must exercise extreme caution. But Navann is different. His musth behavior is unlike most others. Instead of becoming aggressive or stressed, Navann remains happy, playful, and full of energy during this period.
Elephants are remarkably intelligent and sensitive animals and take a discerning approach to their meals. They’ll meticulously shake the dirt off roots and tubers with their trunks, ensuring their food is clean before taking a bite.🐘✨
Since the earthquake on the 28th, we have been closely observing the behavior of each group of elephants at Elephant Nature Park (ENP) to understand how they react to the aftershocks that followed the major earthquake in Chiang Mai Province. More than two hundred aftershocks have occurred since the initial quake. While humans may occasionally feel tremors of magnitude 1-4—sometimes just as a brief feeling of dizziness—elephants perceive far more.
A cute moment unfolded when Faa Mai played hide and seek with ‘Mother Lek’. Butterfly Girl Thong Ae and Baby Chaba couldn’t resist joining in on the fun! It warms the heart to see their relaxed, joyful antics – a daily event at ENP!
Despite Medo’s physical limitations, her spirit is stronger than ever. Today, we’re happy to share another lovely moment with Medo.💕 With her powerful, articulate trunk, she reaches to grab leaves from the highest branches. Stretching her body and extending her trunk with all her might, she carefully selects the leaves she wants.
Thong Ae, the energetic little one, feels particularly playful after her bath. She rubs her skin, kicks a rubber ring around, and then heads over to take a mud bath with Grandma Sri Nuan.
Just as we enjoy lounging on a comfy couch, elephants love lying on soft sand. After reaching the top of the sandy hill, FaaMai flopped down to relax, surrounded by her family, who were all very chatty on this day.
Sri Nuan is known for her reserved yet kind-hearted nature. 💕🐘 She doesn’t often show her emotions, but she has taken on the role of a nanny to many baby elephants here. Rescued from the logging industry, Sri Nuan is blind in one eye, which may explain why she lacks confidence in expressing herself. However, when it comes to taking care of the little ones, her devotion is unwavering.
Faa Mai and Thong Ae, our two playful teenage elephants, are no exception. They long to be loved, to feel connected, and to be noticed by the people they hold dear. At times, they behave like little children—seeking attention through playful actions and gentle mischief. But every bit of their behavior comes from a place of innocence and pure-hearted emotion.
The life of elephant nanny at Elephant Nature Park. Learn more about the work of Elephant Nature Park
Though some books claim that elephants only sleep standing up, the truth is they do lie down to sleep when they feel safe. Elephants forced to stand while sleeping often face harsh conditions - short chains that restrict movement, hard concrete floors that cause pressure sores, or dirty, wet surfaces soaked with urine and feces.
Here’s a glimpse of that joy — refreshing moments of our elephants that we’d love to share with you during this festive season. Happy Songkran Day!
Beautiful Mintra snacks on fresh grass, then decorates herself by tossing it onto her head – truly at one with Nature.💚🐘 Elephants often use mud, dirt, or even soft grass to cover their bodies.
Let’s wrap up Songkran with some heartwarming and inspiring moments from our gentle giants and the Elephant Nature Park family.
If you’ve ever wondered what true elephant happiness looks like, it’s in these serene moments—elephants sleeping peacefully, completely free of fear or stress, knowing they are safe, loved, and cared for. We are incredibly proud to have created a home where elephants can feel secure—a place where they don’t just survive, but thrive. A place where they can rest anywhere, anytime, knowing this is their forever home, built with love.
From a young age, Faa Mai has loved my lullabies. When I sing in the middle of the field, she often gathers the younger elephants, gently guiding them with her trunk. And if they’re scattered in different directions, she will even take me by the arm and lead me to them—because to Faa Mai, being together is what matters most. She is like an elephant ambassador, always working to bring the herd closer, encouraging them to live as one big, peaceful family.
Khamla, in a typically graceful moment, ambitiously stretches out her trunk to reach for the juicy leaves while her close companion, Daoruang, leans lovingly into her side. Adorable behaviors like this spontaneously emerge when elephants feel calm and safe – free to explore their surroundings with curiosity and a sense of ease. Just as nature intended.
Grandma Jarunee walks with a style that’s uniquely her own, each step filled with joyful purpose.
Butterfly girl, Thong Ae, did a wonderful job as nanny, overseeing the little ones during playtime on the sand hill. They look so adorable as they control their slide down the loose earth, letting gravity do its thing.
Warunee was born around 1959. Her life followed the tragic path of so many captive elephant before her. She was separated from her mother at a very young age and trained to work in the hauling logs in the forest. Warunee was then moved to the elephant trekking camp providing rides day in, day out with no rest. In June 2015, Warunee was rescued from the elephant trekking camp in Kanchanaburi and came to Elephant Nature Park. She quickly settled into her new life, retired from work and able to socialize with her own kind. Warunee has developed many strong bonds within the Kham La herd and her best friend is Dao Ruang.
Rattana Kham is one of the lucky ones. She was helped by Pra Arjarn Moche, who provided the donation allowing her freedom, and by Warattada “Meow” Pattarodom who organised funds for her shelter so she could be cared for in the sanctuary of Elephant Nature Park for the rest of her life. Located near Elephant Nature Park, her 4.5 KM walk which took 4 hours was a quite a journey to freedom in itself. It was the first time she didn’t have a chain around her neck or ankle. Shortly into the walk, Lek, Meow and the ENP team noticed something very wrong in her gait and movements – walking so so slowly and stopping only after three to five steps. She was also famished and foraging on everything in her path, even foliage elephants don’t normally eat.
Kaavan is a male Asian elephant who was known as the ‘world’s loneliest elephant’ after his companion Saheli died in 2012.
Mae Baitoey (แม่ใบเตย) was born around 1976. She spent most of her life working in the trekking industry, catering to tourists who desired to ride her. During her time at the trekking camp in Kanchanburi, the owners also exploited her for forced breeding. In 2011, she gave birth to a baby girl named Kham La. Despite the profound bond between mother and baby, they were forcibly separated, and the owner subjected Kham La to cruel training for performing in an elephant show. Fortunately, we were able to rescue Kham La and reunite her with her mother, Baitoey, bringing them both to Elephant Nature Park for a fresh start.
Chang Yim was born at Elephant Nature Park on July 12, 2009. His name means Smiling Elephant. His mother is Dok Ngern and he has a little sister named Dok Mai. He is the second baby ever to be born and conceived at Elephant Nature Park from resident elephants. Chang Yim has not had his spirit broken and is trained using positive reinforcement target training so that we can perform any medical or husbandry care necessary. Chang Yim is a very lucky bull elephant as he will never have to do any kind of work. We hope that in the future we will be able to release him into a semi-wild forested area where he can reach his full potential.
Hope was born in August 2000. Hope’s mother was a trekking elephant who was forced to stop working due to illness. Hope and his mother were moving to stay in forest near the owner’s home in the hope that the return to her natural environment would aid her recovery. Sadly, this was not the case and she died. Hope was weak and needed special care. His owner could not afford to buy the milk formula needed to sustain him at such a young age. They contacted our founder, Lek, and asked if she would take care of him.
He was rescued at 18 months old. His mother was allowed to stay with him at Elephant Nature Park for one year, so he could continue nursing. Sadly, they did not want to let go of Mae Boon Na and she was eventually taken back to work. Jungle Boy, or otherwise and now known as Thong Suk, acquired a few nannies in his early years, but as he grew older he developed a more serious interest in the females. He is the father of both Dok Mai and Yindee.
She was born at an elephant riding and show camp as a result of forced breeding. At a very young age she was tied to her mother whilst she gave rides to tourists. Manao and her mother were then separated so the mahout (keeper) could start the process of breaking her spirit to force her to perform demeaning tricks and carry people on her back. Manao was rescued along with 19 other elephants in early June 2015. She has an adopted nanny named Mae Malee.
Pookie worked in the logging industry until this was banned by the Thai government in 1989. Her owner at that time tried to find a means of deriving an income from Pookie and she was forced back into illegal logging. Following her work in the logging industry she was moved to an elephant trekking camp. Pookie was rescued in June 2015 and came to live at Elephant Nature Park.
After working in the logging industry, Sarai Mia was rescued from Mondulkiri Province, Cambodia, and brought to Cambodia Wildlife Sanctuary in February 2017 at the same time as DiPloh.
After a life in the logging industry, DiPoh was rescued from Mondulkiri Province, Cambodia, and came to live at Cambodia Wildlife Sanctuary in February 2017, along with a younger elephant named Sarai Mia.
MaePon was born in 1981. When she was rescued, she arrived with her baby, Hansa, but sadly her baby died when she was just 2 years old from a fatal virus that affects elephants known as EEHV.
Born on 17 April 2009 at Elephant Nature Park, Faa Mai, meaning “New Sky”, was the first calf born at the park to one of our resident elephants. Her mother, Mae Bua Thong, was rescued in July 2005 along with her daughter, Tong Jaan, who was just six months old at the time.
Jokia, whose name means “Eye from Heaven”, was born in 1960. She was rescued in 1999 from illegal logging and extreme abuse. While pulling a log uphill, Jokia suffered a miscarriage but was not allowed to stop to check whether her calf was dead or alive. This event caused her immense physical and emotional trauma, and she fell into a deep depression, refusing to work. In response, her owner cruelly shot her with a slingshot, permanently blinding her in both eyes. One day, Lek heard Jokia trumpeting angrily in the jungle where she was being forced to work, and so began the negotiations for her rescue.
KhamLa (darling) was born in 2011. At that time, her mother was working at a trekking camp in Kanchanaburi. KhamLa was separated from her mother and put through phajaan to break her spirit so that she would submit to the will of humans. She was then subjected to the cruel training process endured by elephants who perform in shows.
Medo’s life has been marked by both profound suffering and remarkable resilience. She began working at a very young age in illegal logging. While pulling a heavy log, she broke her right ankle, which never healed properly, leaving her unable to continue logging.
Born around 1962, Mae Sri Nuan was rescued from Surin Province, along with Dok Ngern, in late 2005. She was brought to Elephant Nature Park to begin her recovery from the trauma of her past.
ThongAe is a female elephant born as a result of forced breeding, whereby her mother was chained while the male elephant was coerced to mate with her.
Mae KhamPaeng was born in 1971. She was rescued her from a trekking camp in Kanchanburi in Western Thailand.
NongPop was born in 1990 and is the youngest in the herd at Elephant Highlands project.
Navaan (gold in Cambodian) was born at Elephant Nature Park in the early hours on October 28, 2012, to a chorus of trumpeting and elephant gossip.
Beyond the mountainous landscapes and lush jungles of Northern Thailand lies a haven for the gentlest of creatures. "Many of them arrive here like a zombie, some of them arrive here and they don't know they are elephants, they stand still ... they walk in a circle," said Sangduen "Lek" Chailert, founder of the Elephant Nature Park.
Beyond the amazing food, glittering temples and famously friendly culture, the country has yet another precious commodity: its elephants. And at Elephant Nature Park, an elephant rescue and rehabilitation center in the Chiang Mai countryside, you’ll be surrounded by them.
Faa Mai is an elephant full of love for one particular person — she’s obsessed with Lek Chailert, founder of Elephant Nature Park (ENP), the Thailand elephant sanctuary that Faa Mai calls home. Sometimes that love makes her a bit overprotective. In a recent Facebook post, Chailert describes an incident in which Faa Mai wouldn’t let her out of her sight — or her grasp.
Thailand's work elephants often lead a miserable existence. Animal welfare activist Lek Chailert has set up a sanctuary for rescued elephants in northern Thailand. There the animals can enjoy their retirement.
Conservationist Sangdeaun Lek Chailert, known simply as Lek, who has been dubbed the “elephant whisperer” because of her ability to connect with the animals, has made it her life’s work to protect and save the species in her home country of Thailand.
Lek Saengduean Chailert, founder and director of Elephant Nature Park, stands with two rescued elephants at her sanctuary. It has many supporters, especially on social media, so during the pandemic she and her team have been fundraising to provide food and resources to dozens of camps around Thailand.
This year’s World Elephant Day on 12 August marked the first anniversary of 137 Pillars Hotels & Resorts Thailand’s CSR partnership with the Elephant Nature Park (ENP) in Chiang Mai. This long-term collaboration raises much-needed funds and global awareness for elephant conservation and reforestation in Thailand.
Judges’ comments: Apart from all the usual elephant activities they also do rainforest restoration, have educational programmes, they set up Eleflix during the pandemic, they have 4 vets on site, they have their Elephant Food Bank, they have their Farm to Herd initiative, and they set up their Jumbo Express mobile clinic. A clear winner!
En marge de son déplacement à Bangkok pour le sommet de l’APEC, Emmanuel Macron a remis les insignes de chevalier de la Légion d’honneur à Mme Saengduean Chailert.
Elephant Nature Park is one of the best-known elephant conservation projects in Thailand. Set on the edge of a rainforest near Chiang Mai, in Thailand’s north, the sanctuary was founded by award-winning conservationist Lek Chailert in 1995. More than 75 elephants roam free here and each has a heart-breaking story: many have been saved from torturous camps that exploit elephants for tourism or logging purposes or other abusive situations.
Lek Chailert started with a humble goal: rescue one abused bull. Now, she's the head of an international non-profit with a mission to end the mistreatment of elephants.
Elephant Nature Park has been recognised as the Wildlife Sanctuary of the Year at the Prestige Awards ceremony held at Hazlewood Castle, near Leeds, UK. The award celebrates excellence and dedication in our field
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