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The Elephant Mahout Project At Ban Ta Klang Village  

2 – 4 weeks

Introduction

 

The 2-4 week project gives you the great opportunity to get a basic understanding of the Thai domestic elephant and their relation with their mahout. You will not only learn how to ride your elephant but also how to care for the elephant. You can learn about the traditional life of the mahouts and about the life of local people in this old and small village in Isan. You will stay at the same house as the mahout and will join in various communal activities like for example cooking. At the end of this project, you will receive a document which proves your skills as elephant mahout from a professional teacher. This is a non-profitable project for Eco Explorer Co., Ltd. All income generated is handed over to the local people, who will benefit from your participation together with the elephants.   

 

  About the area

 

 

Ban Ta Klang Village is an Elephant Village in Northeastern Thailand. Currently there are about 200 domestic elephants living here. The villagers here earn their living by farming and weaving. They also keep domestic elephants as pets and they sometimes support with activities. The elephants here are treated like friends and have been trained well by their mahouts. Near the village, at Surin, every third weekend of November the famous Elephant Show is being organized. Many smart elephants participating in the show are from Ban Tha Klang Village. The show attract many visitors from every corner of the world. 

 

 

 

 

The objectives of this project:

 

 1. Promotion of the elephant mahout project at Ban Tha Klang. Every tourist that joins the project generates income for the local people and for the elephants. In this way the elephants do not need to go to the cities for begging and they don't need to perform illegal logging for example.

 2. Education to both local people as tourists about the importance of the Thai elephant. It is of great importance to take care of the domestic elephants and to make sure the threatened wild elephant has a future in Thailand.

 

3. Raise the level of education of the Thai mahout. By creating standards for all mahouts and by living up to these, the elephants can have a better future. 

 4. Create awareness to tourists about the Thai culture and the life of the elephants and their mahouts. In return, the local people can of course also get a better understanding of the world around them. 

 5. Promote eco-tourism. For the long term survival of the animals and the eco system it is most important that eco-tourism keeps on growing and that destructive tourism will come to en end.  

 

About domestic elephants

 

 

The forest in Thailand has decreased a lot due to deforestation and eucalyptus plantations. With less work in the forests there is no longer much logging work for the domestic elephants. This has been their main occupation for many years. Now there is less food in the forests available and the mahouts need to find another source of income in order to take care of their elephants. Some bring their elephants to big cities like Bangkok and try to make money from tourists. However, the Bangkok streets are dangerous for elephants because of the numerous cars. Also it is not always easy to find 200 kg of food everyday.  Elephants can also damage the roads and can be dangerous for citizens. Their mahouts are  also not always friendly, as some elephants are being  kept under horrible circumstances.  They are jabbed with knives and spears, overworked and overdosed on amphetamines to increase their stamina. There has been a large action by the Thai government during which all elephants were not allowed inside the city. This appeared not to be a good solution though, as several elephants died of starvation. Tourism appears to be an answer in order to guarantee a good future for the domestic elephants in Thailand but it needs to be controlled well. At the moment, almost 70% of the baby elephants working in tourism are believed to have been poached from the wild.  Poachers often kill the mother in order to get the calf. For the future, the situation is improving, as most national parks who habitat wild elephants are well protected and many programs have been set up in order to ensure the survival of the wild elephant.

 

The program

At he village there are about 200 domestic elephants who live together with their mahouts. You will become part of this community for at least 2 weeks. Together with the elephants and the mahouts you will visit the forest in the morning where the elephants can eat. You will also learn how to control the elephant and will clean and wash them during the day. This program has a high educational level, both about domestic elephants and about the Thai culture. Besides you are also expected to support with house  activities. This gives you another great opportunity and if you like, you can become a master Thai cook !        

The income generated from the tourists that join this exciting program, is being used for basic needs and food for both the local people as their elephants. By supporting the village through sustainable or Ecotourism, they people can earn money in a decent  way, instead of performing illegal logging or ‘begging’ in Bangkok for example.  

 

 

Accommodation and sanitarian

 

Accommodation is very basic. You will stay at a local house together with the mahout. You will receive a handmade mat to sleep on and clean bedding. If you do not like to sleep on a hard underground, you may want to bring a sleeping bag to put between you and the mat. We will provide you with a mosquito net. The village is not very developed. The bathroom consists of an “Asian” toilet. There is no western shower, but cold clean water is available to wash yourself with.

   

 

Food 


You will be served a variety of Thai local dishes 3 times a day. Sometimes you are requested to support with the cooking. If you get hungry in between you can always ask for a snack, which is no problem. Cold water, tea and coffee are freely available, soft drinks and alcohol can be purchased in the village. 

 

Requirements

 

 

If you want to join this challenging program, you have to meet a few basic rules:     

  •       Minimum age of 20 years

  •       Besides working together with the elephant and Mahout, you are also expected to support with general activities like cooking and cleaning. 

  •      Minimum stay of 2 weeks

  •      A normal level of fitness, you should be able to do some hiking in a hot climate.

  •      You need to respect the Thai culture, be open-minded and have a social attitude towards the local people.

 

 

 

 

 

Included :

·         Advice on transportation from Bangkok to Ban Ta Klang Village  (If required we can also guide this)

·         All fees for participating in the Elephant Mahout Project

·         Accommodation at the project 

·         All meals and coffee, tea and water during your stay

·         Supervision

·         Insurance

What to bring ?

On all of our tours that include trekking or walking in the forest, Eco Explorer advices you to bring the following items :

- Light walking boots or sports shoes
- Camera, binoculars
- Long trousers and long-sleeved shirt for walking in the forest
- Raincoat
- Mosquito repellent

How to join this program?

Please sent us the booking form together with a short letter of motivation and some background information about yourself. We will then contact you for further procedures. If you have any questions, please contact us first by email to arnon@ecoexplorerthailand.com 

 


 

  

 

 

 

 

 

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