The (Ethical) Elephant Nature Park

Today was pretty great because I got to experience something most people won't ever have the chance to.

It was also special because in a few hundred years, elephants could be extinct and it's sad to even think about. The ivory trade, along with other things like logging and tourism industries are very detrimental to the asian elephant population. In Thailand there are plenty of places where tourists can ride elephants, or pose with them for pictures but most of them are money making traps and they don't treat their animals well at all. Elephants who are used for rides often have their backs broken or are beat into submission. It was really heartbreaking to hear the stories of some of the elephants at the Elephant Nature Park. The Elephant Nature Park is an amazing sanctuary where they buy and take in abused, injured or orphaned elephants. They care for them and provide medical care. The elephants get to roam freely about the valley and form herds naturally. I got to help feed and bathe the elephants, which was incredible!