A city is the last place where you would expect to find an elephant. Their existence is heartbreaking. Without the forest, and sufficient food, Thai elephants won’t have a chance of survival. 'Bring the Elephant Home' is dedicated to create a better future for all Thai elephants. We hope to achieve this by stimulating animal friendly eco-tourism, creating habitat for elephants, growing food for elephants, creating alternatives for elephant families and by finding solutions to solve human-elephant conflicts. With our project Trees for Elephants we have already planted about 250,000 trees for wild and domesticated elephants. To be able to extend the Elephant Nature Park, we’ll organize Bike for Elephants on January 14 and 15 2012. Read more... >>>
Bike for Elephants
antoinette - 25 January 2012 09:50
This year Bike for Elephants started in a very different way than the previous years. Before departure, this time we didn’t pass bottles of sun crème around, but raincoats instead. A smaller number of participants as well, nineteen cyclists and ten supporters. Despite the dark clouds, everyone was excited to get started. But at the first off road part, we got stuck completely. The clay was so sticky and strong, that it was not even possible to push the bikes forward. Brakes, gears and wheels were completely covered in clay. The only solution: clean and repair bikes, take them on the shoulder and walk to the nearest paved road. A la minute we changed the route, and adapted the event to the new circumstances. On the way we had to stop many times to fix flat tires and make minor repairs of broken bikes. Halfway we ordered three new mountain bikes, to replace the worst ones. But with all these challenges Bike for Elephants only became more fun. Click ‘more’ for the picture report of the weekend. (more…)
Park Plaza hotel sponsors Bike for Elephants
antoinette - 30 November 2011 06:21
The Park Plaza Sukhumvit Hotel in Bangkok will support Thai elephants again. This time by helping us promoting our charity ride Bike for Elephants, and by donating the first prize award for the best fundraiser of the event! So if you are joining Bike for Elephants, and starting your fundraising: you have a chance to stay for free in this first class boutique hotel in the center of Bangkok! Thanks a lot for your support, Park Plaza!
Trees for Elephants in Cambodia
antoinette - 20 November 2011 15:40
Last month Bring the Elephant Home has been working in Cambodia to restore the forest of Phanon Kulen National Park. In the future part of the forest will serve as a wildlife sanctuary for animals in need. We helped to create a more natural habitat at the location that has been designed as future elephant land. We hope that soon some Cambodian elephants can retire from work and will be able to live here in freedom.
But before elephants could be brought to the forest, we need to create more biodiversity, attract more wildlife and grow elephant food on the land. With the support of the local tree nursery of FORRU, we could get over 3,000 very healthy seedlings of 8 native species. Off we went to Cambodia, to find volunteers and get these 3,000 trees planted as quickly as possible.
Family life and the training of Chang Yim
antoinette - 5 November 2011 08:17
Video introduction of target training and the response of Chang Yim.
Every day Chang Yim receives a positive reinforcement training by Karl Cullen, in a playful and animal friendly way. Chang Yim reacts well to this. He is very enthusiastic, and his behavior has improved immensely. He is still a young, wild bull, but we can trust him a lot more. Karl learned to give the target training method by Carol Buckley, founder of Elephant Aid International. Together they started to train Chang Yim, and after seeing the results, more elephants of the park can benefit from this training method now.
The family of Chang Yim is still thriving. There is always something going on in this social group with Chang Yim and Faa Mai growing up, and Faa Sai being mischievous. These past months, the family was often followed by Hope, the young bull. Hope was infatuated by the imposing Sri Nuan, who could appreciate his attention. He even managed to mate with her a few times, while Thong Jan and Faa Sai kept the other jealous elephants at a distance.
Click to see more about Chang Yim and family photos.
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Report of trees planting for wild elephants July - August 2011
Dutsadee - 3 October 2011 08:54
An update of the activities of our project Trees for Wild Elephants during July - August 2011. We got over a hundred of volunteers of various organizations from Bangkok to help us to finish the tree planting for wild elephants at Salakpra wildlife sanctuary, Kanchanaburi for 2011(4th year). Finally, we reached our goal for this year, of 14,000 extra trees for elephants
Apart from the tree planting, this year we add more activities to improve the habitat of wild elephants and other wildlife, such as the making of artificial salt licks to increase the mineral source in the jungle and a small dam to preserve the water for wild animals throughout the coming dry season.
Click for more photos of our events during July - August 2011.
Update tree maintenance at Elephant Jungle
Dutsadee - 08:36
In July 2011 we managed to get 4,000 saplings planted at the Elephant Jungle. The tree were produced in our own tree nursery, and consisted of 19 native tree species as follows, Afzelia xylocarpa, Cassia siamea, Alstonia scholaris, Sesbania grandiflora, Bauhinia purpurea, Eugenia cumini, Dipterocarpus turbinatus, Sapindus rarak, Terminalia bellerica, Terminalia chebula, Tamarindus indica, Phyllanthus emblica, Lagerstroemia macrocarpa, Psidium guajava, Gmelina arborea and Oroxylum indicum. Also the herbal medicine trees, Gendarussa vulgaris, Caesalpinia sappan and Rhinacanthus nasutus.
After the planting event in July 2011, we arrange tree maintenance for all the planted trees. like weeding and applying organic fertilizer. This way we make sure that the trees can compete with the fast-growing weed, will have a high survival rate and can grow very well. The planted trees needs maintenance until the forest recovers within the next 2 – 3 year.
Click for more details and to see more photos about our planting site at the Elephant Jungle project in September 2011.
7-11 mini store in Chiang Mai support recycled cardboard for trees planting
Dutsadee - 07:39
On July 17, 2011, Bring the elephant home foundation arranged the big planting event at the Elephant Jungle project, Mae Tang, Chiang Mai for the second year. About 80 volunteers from Chiang Mai university and 20 volunteers from Elephant Nature Park participated. In a day, we could finish about 4,000 saplings and covered one side of the mountain! After the tree planting event, the students had a chance to visit and spend time with the elephants at the park.
We would like to give a big thank for Choice ministore Co., Ltd. or better known as “7-11” and especially to Mr. Worawat Tantranond, the managing director, who supported us for 4,000 recycled card boards from 18 branches of 7-11 in Chiang Mai. Normally, they can earn money by selling the used card boards to recycling companies, but this time, they decided to support us to restore the forest for elephants. Hopefully next year we can work together again and create a better future for Thai elephants together!
Click more for more details about this method and photos of tree planting event at the Elephant Jungle.
Trailer Bike for Elephants 2012
antoinette - 30 September 2011 17:09
by: Hinesh Patel.
First elephants explore the Elephant Jungle
antoinette - 5 September 2011 13:21
Video and pictures: David Terrazas. Muziek: Nina Simone.
In July 2011 we took the first elephants from the Elephant Nature Park to explore the Elephant Jungle. We were looking forward to take Hope on this adventurous expedition, because of his surplus of energy, and the problems he sometimes causes at the ENP. A considerable hike through the jungle might just take up some of his energy. Of course we wouldn’t leave without his girlfriend Sao Yai; thus the couple have some time alone away from the park. We became aware of their appreciation for the vegetable garden at the Elephant Jungle, where they worked hard on a Hope or Sao Yai Junior.
A five hour walk, steep up- or downhill, but always through true elephant land. On the way, Hope is a little hesitant, as if he doesn’t want to leave his safe home. But we’re not in a hurry, and there is plenty of time for eating and drinking breaks. On our way we tie pieces of Buddhist cloth around trees, hopefully urging illegal loggers to leave the trees alone. Nearly at the Elephant Jungle, the elephants dive into the long grass, and the volunteers into the pool near the waterfall. A great way to cool off after a walk like that. Click more for more details and photos of the trip. (more…)
Hip hip hurray for Chang Yim!!!
antoinette - 17 July 2011 10:57
On July 12 Chang Yim, Dok Ngeons ‘little’ one, celebrated his second birthday. For this event all kinds of fruit was bought, and used at the Elephant Nature Park to create a delicious fruit cake. Usually the family eat their afternoon fruit at their night quarters, but for this special occasion they were taken to the river. The day visitors, volunteers, and staff sang to the birthday boy from the viewing platform, in several languages. Meanwhile, chairman Rob and Antoinette brought Chang Yim the cake. Chang Yim was delighted about this gift, and happily dove into all this special fruit. Click for more pictures.
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