LET’S MEET LAO
ELEPHANTS! TIPS ON HOW YOU CAN HELP LAO ELEPHANTS AND MAHOUTS
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aos was known as the land of a million elephants. They have been used as beasts of war or burden, and until recent decades, for logging. Logging is extremely hard work both for elephants and their handlers, known as mahouts. Now tourism offers a better way of life for Lao elephants and mahouts. These days, while hundreds of Asian elephants remain in the wild in Laos, there are also a nearly equal number held in captivity. It would be preferable to release captive elephants back into the wild, but modern development, hunters and the density of and danger from human settlements means that this is not a straightforward solution. Elephants are expensive to keep and need to earn their living – they need food, health care and shelter. Unlike logging, working in tourism offers them an easier life and also helps to maintain the species, especially in Laos where elephants may otherwise disappear in 30 years. Recently, there has been a lot of controversy around elephant camps, tourism, and animal welfare because some camps use hooks, chains, and cruel training methods. Professional tourism elephant camps take account of the animals’ needs and nature. Elephants are social animals and need to interact with others as well as having exercise, regular bathing and good nutrition. Elephants need fiber and a variety of vegetation to eat. They can consume 200 kilos of food each day. But no more Photograph by Phoonsab Thevongsa
