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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