Support Elephants During the Pandemic

More than a year since the pandemic began, the spread of COVID-19 continues to wreak catastrophe worldwide, with devastating medical, economic, and social influences.

During the initial months of the pandemic crisis, international travel restrictions unbalanced Thailand’s tourist-dependent economy, and left many who work in the tourism industry jobless. Domestic elephants, most of which are in some way involved in the tourism industry, also suffered as a result of the initial lack of tourism.

Emergency closures of almost every elephant camp in Thailand left camp owners and employees, elephant owners, and mahouts in a position of dire uncertainty. Many elephant owners and mahouts who had previously leased their elephants to tourism operators chose to withdraw their elephants and return to their homes.

The remote nature of many of their hometown locations offers another obstacle. Many now lack sufficient income to provide proper veterinary treatment to their elephants when necessary, and the remoteness of many locations means that medical aid may take days to arrive.

Since 2014, Elephant Jungle Sanctuary have been working tirelessly to achieve our goal of providing a safe, ethical, and sustainable home for rescued elephants, where they can experience freedom, happiness, and good health. Our sanctuary has been built to care for domestic elephants, and has facilities specially designed for elderly, sick, and disabled elephants.

In total, we now care for 97 elephants at locations in four provinces throughout Thailand. (Chiang Mai, Phuket, Pattaya, and Samui). The majority of our income is generated from visitors to our Sanctuary, and we use this money to ensure the health and comfort of our elephants on a daily basis, veterinary treatment, and elephant food. With a decrease in number of people traveling to Thailand during this uncertain reopening phase, we are anticipating difficult times ahead.

Due to the high cost of caring for each and every elephants, we are greatly concerned, and feel the need to do something to support our family. That is why we are reaching out to you here to ask for your help. A very much needed help. Anything you can offer us would be highly appreciated, and would go a long way towards helping the daily care of the elephants.

Your donation will go directly towards elephant food and Mahout expenses, and will help us provide the best lives possible for these beautiful creatures and dedicated individuals throughout these tough times.