Press Coverage
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INTO THE WILD
IN THE
FOOTSTEPS OF
GIANTS
The historical symbol of Laos gets a brighter future. TEXT BY CLAIRE BOOBBYER PHOTOGRAPHS BY JORDAN BROWN / MANDALAO MORE INFO Mandalao is located 15 km outside of Luang Prabang, but you can make reservations at their office downtown. See their website at mandalaotours.com for more details.
I
n a tangled teak forest, a short drive from Luang Prabang, I cross a cold mountain stream behind a giant matriarch elephant and a trailing tot. Majestic Mahn leads the way through trickling water ahead of three-year-old baby Kit. I pinch myself. I can’t believe I’m so close to these jungle-munching creatures as they wander the forest foraging for breakfast. Baby Kit hesitates when he sees the babbling brook, retreats, pushes ahead, and then bumps around for a different route, scattering his human observers while he searches for the confidence to pass. It’s a magical experience to watch this small pachyderm on a learning curve.
Kit is one of nine Asian elephants (and the only youngster) living on the banks of the Nam Khan River who are getting a new and happier lease of life at Mandalao. Set up by American Michael Vogler, and co-founders 2.5 years ago, Mandalao’s elephants have been rescued from logging camps and are being shown a new future without backbreaking work, and tourists riding on their backs for laughs. Mandalao offers wildlife fans a range of walks and ethical encounters all within easy access to Luang Prabang. Guide Mr. Keum tells our small group at Mandalao’s riverside location that when the Lao government shut down logging camps in 2016, the elephants were out of work. Today they live in a “five-star hotel,” Keum says, while showing us photos of the elephants prior to their welcome at Mandalao. Vogler’s ultimate aim is to send elephants to Nam Poui Protected Area on the Lao-Thai border, in a bid to ensure
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the species’ survival. At Nam Poui around 60 wild elephants patrol the earth. Once known as the Land of a Million Elephants, Laos now counts less than 1,000 wild and captive elephants with numbers declining due to poaching, hunting, and unexploded ordnance, Keum says. “We can’t bring back one million,” Keum warns, “but we hope to increase the population to six or seven thousand.” After a safety briefing and a tip from Keum: “We can kiss the elephant but not the mahout guide!”, we cross the river on a canoe to meet some of the waiting, and hungry elephants. Thong Khoun, a 47-year-old female, is eager to snaffle the bananas we’ve brought her. When our attention is turned to other stabled elephants in the group, I spy her determination: she draws out her trunk as much as is physically possible and tips over a basket to snatch the last few bananas. I was transfixed. I couldn’t believe she was able to stretch her trunk so much. Our elephants, tails swinging, set off and we trail them, led by guide Mr. Dao who walks us into the “elephant supermarket”, the 200 ha of riverside forest, filled with flitting butterflies, which Mandalao rents from local farmers. The pace is unhurried as the elephants seek out leaves, herbs, and bamboo, stripping the forest like untamed bulldozers. We pad softly over the leaf carpet, so the sound of the forest being ripped up by elephant trunks is intriguing and alarming. Our group sticks to the path, stepping over elephant-sized prints planted in the mud, and piles of turd, but the elephants don’t give a damn about footpaths and wander all over the place farting and looking for
1
2
left: An elephant munches grass by the Khan River 1. Elephants call to each other in the jungle 2. Baby Kit, who will be returned to the wild 3. Mandalao, set in lush tropical jungle
3
their favorite snacks – a time-consuming business: elephants munch 250 kg of plants a day, drink 200 liters of water, and dump 90 kg of poo. Herd matriarch Mahn stopped in her tracks and we watched her scratch the earth with her trunk, suck up the soil, shower herself with dust, then curl up her trunk like a snail shell to yank down a creeper. We’d call it multitasking, I guess. At the end of our trek, we posed with the older females for pictures and boarded our boat back to basecamp. Over lunch of beef, vegetable curry, and fried spring rolls, we shared our favorite bits and pics from the walk. Later I met Vogler to learn more about Mandalao’s particular pachyderm approach. Mandalao’s 14 mahouts use the Human Elephant Learning Program, written by Dr. Andrew McLean, who channeled his equestrian expertise into elephants. “Kit is the first baby raised in Laos that won’t go through the traditional breaking process of putting a three-year-old elephant in a ‘crush’ cage to break its spirit,” Vogler tells me. Kit sure looks happier and bouncier for it. “The development process is similar to humans and Kit has six commands,” Vogler says. “He’s basically a 750 kg toddler. One minute he is watching a butterfly, the next he is ripping up a forest.” Mandalao’s ultimate goal is to get Kit, fathered by a wild bull, and other elephants in captivity back into the wild. Mandalao works with Prasop Tipprasert, founder of the pioneering Thai Elephant Conservation Center, and with the World Wildlife Fund in Laos, and is developing ideas including a potential new ecotourism product with the aim of ensuring a brighter future for Elephas maximus in Laos. SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2019
By Visiting This Sanctuary, You Can Save Elephants In Laos by: Laurie Werner Laos was once known as the Land of a Million Elephants but due to poaching, logging work and other hardships including the Secret War of the 1960s and 1970s, the current number in the country is down to a mere thousand. There are several elephant sanctuaries across the country that say they are working in conservation but that still promote elephant rides, an activity now frowned upon by real conservationists and achieved through a cruel breaking of the spirit of young elephants. The Elephant Conservation Center, founded in 2011 near Luang Prabang is totally different: it is at the forefront of elephant protection, fostering the recovery of elephants formerly in damaging, stressful situations, the training of their caretaker mahouts and education of the public about the ethical treatment of these majestic animals. They do not permit riding elephants; the saddles used for rides damage elephants' spines. Instead, visitors are encouraged to observe elephants in their natural habitat. Also in the area, the year old MandaLao has a similar mission, to rescue elephants and give them extraordinary care with the intended result of reintroducing them into the wild and encouraging breeding. Their herd is smaller-- seven females along with one of the females' children, a two year old rambunctious male known as Baby Kit--compared to the ECC's 30 and they allow a bit more interaction: visitors are allowed to splash them with water and feed them bananas. But they ban riding as well.
Laurie Werner
https://www.forbes.com/sites/lauriewerner/2018/04/29/by-visiting-this-sanctuary-you-can-save-elephants-in-laos/#68954a131b70
A visit at MandaLao starts off by putting on their provided zip up boots (you’ll need them) and crossing the stream by boat to the other side where the elephants are walking. Two are brought over to be the bananas—any one who has ever observed elephants in the wild know that they eat constantly and copiously; these elephants get half of their diet naturally in the jungle plus crops such as sugar cane and sticky rice grown especially for them. After a shower, you go off on a walk—sometimes they’re behind you, sometimes they lead—through a two mile trek of grasslands and mud pools on the 494 acre property. When they’re behind you, handlers work to control their speed, but you do have to keep an eye out on their progress: I’ve always been amazed that such a giant can walk so quietly that they can sneak up on you—and one did twice.
The views over the 494-acre property housing MandaLao. Laurie Werner
This is beautiful, hilly, verdant countryside so walking with them also affords scenic views. But over the course of two hours (the trek can be shortened if you want—it does get hot and some of those mud pools are pretty deep and sloshy), there’s a nearly meditative pleasure from striding alongside. And an even greater pleasure knowing that entrance fees go toward saving these animals instead of exploiting them through elephant rides.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/lauriewerner/2018/04/29/by-visiting-this-sanctuary-you-can-save-elephants-in-laos/#68954a131b70
MandaLao: Is this Laos’ most responsible elephant retreat? By Kate Springer, CNN Updated 0141 GMT (0941 HKT) August 9, 2017
Story highlights
A common problem
• In Laos, MandaLao elephant camp hopes to provide a responsible alternative to exploitative practices. • Nearly 75% of elephants in Southeast Asia are exploited, according to a World Animal Protection report. • Laos elephant numbers are also dwindling, with only 800 left.
(CNN) - A trip to MandaLao elephant camp is a different experience to visiting a typical elephant camp in Laos or Thailand. There are no elephant rides. No circus tricks. No evening elephant dances. Instead, the humans simply observe as these huge mammals splash in the river, wrestle in the grass, and snack on the forest canopy. It’s a stark contrast to the rest of Southeast Asia, where 75% of 3,000 elephants surveyed in tourist venues between late 2014 and mid-2016 were living in unacceptable conditions, according to a World Animal Protection report. “One of the most frequent questions we get from travelers is about ‘sanctuaries’ in Asia,” Jason Baker, PETA vice president of international campaigns, tells CNN. “I often tell people that the best elephant sanctuaries are pretty boring for humans because they really just want elephants to walk around and be elephants.”
In the “Land of a Million Elephants,” as Laos is known, there are only 800 trunk-swinging creatures left -- just half of them are in the wild.
An elephant’s life • Elephants are the world’s largest landbased animals, weighing up to 5,000kg • They can live to 70 years old • Elephants are social -- some herds have more than 100 members • They spend up to 18 hours a day eating, foraging for 150kg to 300kg of roots, leaves and stems • Elephants love a good swim or dust bath, and often play in rivers • They are highly intelligent and display emotions such as grief when a family member passes • Pregnancy lasts for 20 months, followed by another five years of calf-rearing
In the 1980s, there were an estimated 4,000 elephants in Laos, meaning the population has plummeted by more than 75% in the past 30 years. Deforestation, poachers seeking ivory, the illegal export of elephants to foreign countries for circus shows, and low birth rates, due to the animals being tasked with stressful jobs such as logging and performing for tourists, have all contributed to the falling population. Recently, wildlife investigator and filmmaker Karl Ammann claimed that dozens of elephants from Laos are being illegally sold for around $300,000 to China to be displayed in zoos and safari parks. “Elephants mean so much to the people of Laos, but with the low numbers, some kids here never even see an elephant,” Michael Vogler, who in 2016 cofounded MandaLao, tells CNN. “A lot of people don’t realize how desperate and dire the situation is.”
In Laos, there are roughly 15 elephant sanctuaries, which are often billed as conscientious camps and resorts, where tourists can interact with retired elephants in a responsible way.
along the route. Rides are off the menu. They typically require traumatizing training, Vogler says, and the weight of the rider can harm the animal’s back. “In the morning, the elephants normally bathe in the creek, so we wait there with guests to observe them,” says Vogler. “We bring big baskets of bananas and sugarcane, which usually get their attention because elephants are always thinking about food.”
Looking ahead Duffillot says the problems facing elephants in Laos -- and across Southeast Asia -- are not going away soon, and a master plan is needed.
Meet the elephants
But sanctuary can be a misleading word, due to widespread “greenwashing.” While such camps routinely claim to care for retired elephants, well-intentioned tourists often arrive to discover the animals are kept in chains, made to give rides and perform circus tricks, and controlled by hooks. That’s exactly what happened to Vogler. “On my first trip to Laos (in 2011), I went to one of the elephant sanctuaries here in Luang Prabang and it was not at all what you would expect -- the animals were on super short, 1-meter-long chains all day in the hot sun (when they were not being ridden by tourists),” says Vogler.“They were swaying back and forth neurotically, and looked really unhappy.” He was inspired to make a change.
A new stomping ground Located on the banks of the Nam Khan River, in the north of the country, MandaLao camp occupies 80 hectares of land, including shady spaces, forests, creeks and a veterinary facility on-site. “The industry has really been focused on training elephants to entertain humans. Our goal is to flip that around,” Vogler says. “We invite guests to come in and observe.” Visitors to MandaLao can expect forest walks with the elephants, with food treats used to motivate the animals
Baby Kit at MandaLao. Currently, the camp is home to six adult female elephants and an 18-month-old baby. They were all rescued from the logging industry. “They have such individual personalities and traits. With Kit (the baby), sometimes we have to try two or three different things to see what he wants to eat that day,” says Vogler.
elephants exist in each country. Meanwhile, there are less than 1,000 elephants left in both Cambodia and Laos.
“He won’t eat sugar cane unless you peel it for him. He’s quite spoiled!”
“My philosophy is, and has always been, bottom to top, and not the other way round. But it takes time. And elephants are vanishing fast,” he says.
While the animals independently forage about 50% of their own food in the forest, MandaLao supplements their diets with a mix of napier grass, banana trees, corn and sugar cane. If all goes as planned, Vogler says that Kit won’t spend his whole life at MandaLao. The team is working with a national park to reintroduce elephants into the wild.
“I believe in people committing themselves locally, expanding from a village to a district, and then on to a province ... their success will raise interest at a central level to build a national (and hopefully regional) programs that make sense.”
Unshackling gentle giants Bangkok Post: lifestyle An elephant sanctuary in Luang Prabang, Laos, proves that tourism need not lead to exploitation by: Melanin Mahavongtrakul
Uncle Vi the mahout and one of the sanctuary's elephants, Boonpeng
After trading our sneakers for knee-length boots, we trotted down to the riverbank where a boat was waiting for us. It was a short crossing to the other side of Nam Khan River to meet the elephants that happily approached us for bananas and sugar cane. They had no chains around their ankles. The mahouts stood nearby, keeping watch with no hooks in their hands. Later, they guided the gentle giants to walk along with the humans trailing nearby on muddy ground. The atmosphere was very friendly and calm, with a picturesque landscape of jungle, river and sky surrounding us. Established in September 2016, the place where we stood was part of MandaLao, Luang Prabang's first non-riding elephant sanctuary and the first to declare itself as elephant-friendly in Laos. The land is made up of around 500 rai of natural forest that the elephants can wander freely in.
Currently, MandaLao has nine elephants -- one two-year-old male and the rest are females aged 30-50 years old. Some of them have been rescued from logging camps. Skinny, afraid to be out of the jungle and interact with humans, all with no proper medical attention -- these were the conditions Michael Vogler, the sanctuary's co-owner, found some of the elephants in when he first met them. "Some have been worse than others," he recalled. "They were hobbling in chains with zero water and food. In horrible shape. And now they're completely different." Coming from the US, Vogler used to work in gorilla conservation in Central Africa before relocating to Luang Prabang. The idea to start an elephantfriendly venue came when he visited one "so-called" elephant sanctuary in Laos only to find an animals leashed on a 1m chain with a family riding on its back. He later brainstormed
www.bangkokpost.com/lifestyle/social-and-lifestyle/1459869/unshackling-gentle-giants
with his friends and came back to Laos to try and turn the situation around. The team began introducing a no-riding programme for humans to accompany and observe the elephants on foot as they trek the scenic ground. The interaction from the elephant's side is voluntary.
Some elephants still suffer from old injuries and arthritis from their time in the logging business, so walking around in the jungle and in the stream gives them the exercise and physical therapy they need. Throughout the day, they have shade they can rest under and a place to feed in the wild.
Electric fences keep elephants from wandering out and disturbing local communities.
MandaLao also made a contract with the local community for them to grow crops for elephants. Vogler said about 100 families now benefit from the project. During our trek inside MandaLao, we met Vi, a 75-year-old man who has been a mahout for more than half his life. In his early days, he used to work in the logging business. He revealed that he used to have hooks, and even hit his elephants in the past to force them to pull heavy loads. "Now, there's no more of that. No hook. Not even a chain. We're happy, both the elephants and I," Vi said. Currently, he is paid 6 million kip (over 20,000 baht) a month to care for the elephants. There are now 14 mahouts at MandaLao who
take care of their own elephants, as well as others in the camp. Elephants are one of the most popular and iconic animals in Southeast Asia. In tourist cities like Pattaya and Phuket, one can find countless elephant camps where people can ride the elephants around in a circle, or watch as the giants show them "special talents" like kicking balls, riding tricycles, or even walking on a tightrope. "The tourists only see one side of it -- the happy side," said Somsak Soonthornnawaphat -- head of campaigns at World Animal Protection Thailand (WAP).
www.bangkokpost.com/lifestyle/social-and-lifestyle/1459869/unshackling-gentle-giants
MandaLao insists on the elephant's voluntary interaction with guests at the sanctuary. The creatures are not chained and the mahouts don't use hooks with them.
Behind the scenes, these elephants have to be trained from youth. Many are separated from their mother and herd, later residing in captivity to be chained and trained according to the trainer's will. In the past, elephants were used for cultural and lifestyle purposes, then their existence was commercialised in the logging industry. But when logging was banned in 1991 in Thailand, the country was booming as a tourist destination which saw elephants and other animals becoming a big part of the tourism sector. People flocked to see tiger parks, monkey shows and ride on elephants. "From 8am to 3pm, nonstop," said Somsak. "All with a heavy saddle strapped on the elephant's body." Somsak further described that elephant shows and some riding violates the international Five Freedoms of animal welfare under human control, which states that animals should be free from hunger and thirst, discomfort, pain, fear and distress, and that they get to express their natural behaviours.
WAP is now pushing for the "Wildlife, Not Entertainers" campaign so elephants can live naturally and be free from confinement and torture as part of their training. Hoping for MandaLao to become a role model for conservation in the region, WAP gave financial support to the sanctuary for the construction of its night enclosure for elephants on a 6 rai space that comes equipped with a solar-powered electric system, fences in parts that are connected to nearby communities, irrigation system and homes for mahouts. Other elephant sanctuaries that WAP has lent similar support to include Boon Lott's Elephant Sanctuary in Sukhothai and Elephant Valley Thailand in Chiang Rai. It is also working with tour agencies worldwide, with 188 companies now signing a pledge to no longer support elephant riding and shows.
www.bangkokpost.com/lifestyle/social-and-lifestyle/1459869/unshackling-gentle-giants
Michael Vogler
The trend of tourism is also changing, added Somsak. Slowly but surely, the trend in animal-friendly tourism is increasing, especially for visitors from Europe, Australia and the US who want to have some experience with the animals but do not wish to ride or watch the show. MandaLao's presence is also influencing other elephant camps in Laos. Vogler happily revealed that some camps have since removed heavy saddles from the elephant's backs and only allow guests to ride on the necks. While still not the best option, it's considered a major improvement. Meanwhile, a few others will cease riding activity altogether in the near future. For MandaLao's future, Vogler said the existing space will only be able to house 12 elephants maximum or it will be too crowded. He is now considering opening another sanctuary near a national park, with plans to take in traumatised elephants that can't be around people and try to reintroduce them back into nature.
"When you focus on the conservation of such a large animal like elephants, if you manage to protect them, you're also protecting other species that live in that area," Vogler said. Giving insight into the regional elephant situation is Prasop Tipprasert, MandaLao's project director, who is an elephant expert from Thailand with over 30 years experience. "What we're doing today -- which is to create better welfare for Lao elephants -- is helping Thai elephants directly," said Prasop. Caring for an elephant population in one country is helpful as it makes them healthier and they are able to withstand sickness, which increases herd immunity for the regional population. As elephants here can cross borders between countries, it can result in an epidemic should there are any outbreaks of communicable diseases in the future.
For now, he doesn't think he will expand the conservation project to include other types of animals. www.bangkokpost.com/lifestyle/social-and-lifestyle/1459869/unshackling-gentle-giants
My Experience with Elephants in Laos by: Ellie Grace
www.lifeofelliegrace.com/blog/elephant-conservation-in-laos
Having been raised in South East Asia for
times. The priority was to find a sanctuary
over fourteen years, I've encountered
and on our first day, we stumbled across the
elephants on a fairly regular basis - espe-
Mandalao Elephant Conservation. Set up
cially as we lived in Thailand. Elephants
by a key member of elephant conservation
were everywhere, especially in Bangkok
in Laos, it looks after three or four rescued
where they were a huge tourist attraction.
elephants from logging camps in Laos.
From Elephants painting pictures to
Unlike many elephant camps, these
elephant rides, my family have probably see
elephants are retired and are not rode, or
it all but it wasn't until not too long ago
forced to do anything they don't want to.
that I realised we had been naively contrib-
With a limit placed on tourists who see
uting towards serious animal cruelty.
them, there are only one or two visits from
So recently when I was in Luang Prabang in
tourists each day - with a focus on caring for
northern Laos, the last thing we wanted to
the elephants where they are fed fresh fruit
do was contribute towards anything like we
and then scrubbed down in the river.
had inadvertently done in Thailand so many www.lifeofelliegrace.com/blog/elephant-conservation-in-laos
Since I was about five, I've loved elephants which is perhaps why I've always wanted to get as close as possible but somehow, I felt bizarrely more connected at Mandalao feeding them and washing them than I ever did sat on their back. Now, the 'tour' wasn't cheap but for the safety of elephants and their conservation, it was worth every penny.
I know that many are critical of such eco-tourism and conservation but in countries like Laos and Thailand where elephants are often poached or would end up in logging camps, things like this are almost entirely necessary.
If you ever head to that part of the world, I would strongly recommend trying something like Mandalao. It just isn't worth saving pennies and going to a camp where the animals are clearly not in a good place.
Have you ever been to South East Asia and seen elephants up close?
If you want to follow me whilst I'm still in Asia, don't forget to hop on over to my Instagram.
www.lifeofelliegrace.com/blog/elephant-conservation-in-laos
Eat Sleep Breathe Travel
Mandalao Tours: Responsible Tourism with Elephants in Laos by: Hannah Logan This post likely contains affiliate links. By
habitat and, to a lesser degree, poaching.
booking through these links I may make a
Those that are domesticated are mainly
small commission (which I am very
trapped in the logging industry; spending
grateful for!) at no extra cost to you.
their lives in chains. But recent changes within Laos mean that elephants are slowly
It is said that Laos is the land of a million
being siphoned away from the logging
elephants.The story comes from a long time
industry, and instead are being picked up
ago, when the local people
for tourism. However this change in life is
in the south of the country witnessed what
not always a positive one. Often these
seemed to be an endless herd of elephants
‘rescued’ elephants trade their days in
in Laos crossing the Mekong river. If the
logging to days of being ridden by tourists;
legend is to be believed, there were
a practice that is equally harmful and anger-
enough elephants in this herd to cross the
ous to the well-being of the elephants.
river for three entire days. Elephant tourism is popular not just in Laos, However, as beautiful an idea as that is, it is
but throughout southeast Asia. I had hoped
no longer a reality, or even a possibility.
to go to a sanctuary in Chiang Mai, however since I was there during the Yi Peng festival,
Today it is estimated that there are less than
the tours booked up quickly. So instead I
1000 elephants in Laos; half of which are
decided I would wait and find an elephant
wild and half of which are domesticated.
sancutary in Laos.
Those in the wild are threatened by loss of
www.eatsleepbreathetravel.com/mandalao-tours-elephant-encounter-laos/
I had a few days in Luang Prabang, Laos
reserves, but in big bold writing underneath
and was determined to spend one of them
flaunting the riding programs. Disappointed
with elephants. As an animal lover and an
I just about gave up until I saw an elephant
eco-conscious traveller, I didn’t want to do
sanctuary sign that caught my attention. It
anything that involved or supported riding
wasn’t flashy, there wasn’t anyone waving
elephants. In a country nicknamed the land
me over, but the “NO RIDING” sign was all I
of a million elephants, I figured it would be
needed to be drawn inside to MandaLao’s
reasonably easy to find a good elephant
Luang Prabang tours.
sanctuary in Laung Prabang.
But it wasn’t.
As I walked down the streets I was greeted with sign after sign for Luang Prabang tours calling themselves elephant sanctuaries or
www.eatsleepbreathetravel.com/mandalao-tours-elephant-encounter-laos/
About MandaLao Tours Funnily enough, MandaLao wasn’t intended
Prasop Tipprasert (who has more than 30
to be an elephant sanctuary. It was original-
years experience working with domesticat-
ly going to be a jungle escape for travellers
ed elephants) and a team of dedicated
interested in trekking, biking and swimming,
Mahouts, MandaLao has quickly become a
with the main draw being it was only about
popular tourist destination for eco-con-
thirty minutes away from Luang Prabang,
scious travellers looking for an authentic
not 3-4 hours like most other retreats.
and positive elephant sanctuary in Laos.
And then the owners; Kellen, Michael, and Markus, met the elephants, and a whole new idea came into play.
MandaLao is a brand new elephant sanctuary and has only been open since September 2016. With the help of project manager
www.eatsleepbreathetravel.com/mandalao-tours-elephant-encounter-laos/
At MandaLao the elephants have about 15
the future goal is to find a way to create a
hectares of jungle property to roam, eat,
natural barrier.
and play. During the day they are free, however the owners did not hide that they
At this time MandaLao is a small elephant
do have to be chained at night. Kellen
sanctuary, but the owners dream of expand-
explained to us that because they are
ing it to include and offer more in the future.
domesticated, if they do break away from
Without a doubt, this company’s passion for
the property the elephants will seek out
the elephants in Laos and responsible
humans. Of course in doing so they may
elephant tourism shines through in every-
come to the wrong people, or destroy the
thing they do.
local people’s livelihoods (ie: their rice paddies) along the way. For this reason they are chained at night only; for their protection more than anything else. However, Kellen did tell us that this is not ideal and
www.eatsleepbreathetravel.com/mandalao-tours-elephant-encounter-laos/
About the Elephants At this time MandaLao has six adult elephants and one baby. The adults are all females and the baby, Kit, is a male.
MandaLao’s elephants were rescued from the logging industry and, previous to being at the sanctuary, had spend their lives working in chains. Today they are happy to roam the land, eat, play and of course meet the tourists; especially if those tourists arrive with bananas.
www.eatsleepbreathetravel.com/mandalao-tours-elephant-encounter-laos/
About the Tour MandaLao currently offers three different
they prioritized the elephants’ well being
tours. There are two half day options (one
earned MandaLao a lot of respect from all
with the baby, Kit, and one with the adults),
four of us.
and one full day option. I did the half day tour with the adults.
Along the way Gum told us we were going to play a fruit game. He gave each of us a
I was picked up at 8:30am from my hostel
word to remember for when we got to the
by Gum (sounds like kuum), our smiling
fruit market. Being as forgetful as I am I
guide for the day. I was the last one to join
forgot within seconds, and ended up blurt-
our small group of four. The tour maxes out
ing out all kinds of random nonsense words
at six people, however one of the elephants
to everyone’s amusement until Gum saved
was unwell so they decided to cut it down
me. Turns out my word meant pineapple.
to four for a few days in case the elephant
Fruity elephant treats in hand (and after
wasn’t up to going, but also to maximize the
nearly taking out Gum’s eye with the leaves
experience for the visitors and not over-
on my pineapple) we headed towards
whelm the other elephants. The fact that
MandaLao elephant sanctuary in Luang
www.eatsleepbreathetravel.com/mandalao-tours-elephant-encounter-laos/
Prabang.
We were given information about how when
We arrived shortly after 9am to a beautiful,
elephants are happy they flap their ears and
green space. At the lodge we we offered
how they laugh (for a hilarious video of
coffee or tea and invited to sit and overlook
baby Kit laughing watch this video).
the river where the early group, the half day baby elephant tour, was getting ready to
Safety tips in place, we headed down to the
meet their elephant friends. We all laughed
river to meet our companions for the day:
as the baby, Kit, chased after the visitors,
three female adults named TongCoon,
eager for his feed of bananas.
BounTem, and BungUn. TongCoon was the elephant they were worried about with a bit
After watching the other group set off we
of askin condition. However her mahout
were asked to sit down for an educational
made a last minute call that going out with
video about Mandalao, the elephants, and
us and her elephant friends would be good
their behaviour. This also included safety
for her, so she joined us in the end, seem-
tips, advice, and fun little facts about the
ingly happy to be out and about. Though
personalities of these amazing creatures.
her protective mahout kept a close eye on
www.eatsleepbreathetravel.com/mandalao-tours-elephant-encounter-laos/
her throughout the day.
good walking shoes that you can get wet!).
We started off our encounter with bananas;
Gum told us stories and all kinds of interest-
a sure way to win their hearts. With four
ing facts along the way, and of course the
people and three elephants there were
elephants were aways entertaining. I
plenty of bananas to go around, but Bung
became quick buddies with Bung Un; the
Un got all of mine. I couldn’t stop laughing
elephant who ate all my bananas. She
as she shovelled them in as fast as possi-
frequently came over checking me for more
ble.
but was happy with some pats on the head and stroke on her trunk. She also was very
Bananas and fruit gone, we took them into
photogenic, happy to ham it up for me and
the river for a scrub down and a rinse
my
before we headed off on our jungle trek.
camera. I loved walking alongside her and, given that flapping ears mean a happy
We headed into the jungle, following the
elephant, I’m pretty sure she liked me too
lead of the elephants. Crossing streams and
(check my adorable video of Bung Un).
climbing up muddy hills (if you go, wear
www.eatsleepbreathetravel.com/mandalao-tours-elephant-encounter-laos/
About two hours after meeting the
lutely incredible day.
elephants, it was time to say goodbye. A few more elephant hugs, pats, and photos
It is said the Laos is the land of a million
and we parted ways in the jungle. They
elephants. And while this may no longer be
went deeper for their lunch and we headed
the case, a visit to MandaLao Elephant
back to the lodge, via some beautiful rice
Sanctuary will leave you feeling like you
paddies, for ours.
have taken the hearts of a million elephants with you, and that you have left a bit of
Lunch was delicious; an assortment of traditional dishes and fresh fruit from dessert. Again we were offered tea or coffee as we relaxed overlooking the hills, river, and rice paddies in the distance. Around 1:30 it was time to say goodbye to MandaLao and head back to Luang Prabang after an abso-
www.eatsleepbreathetravel.com/mandalao-tours-elephant-encounter-laos/
yours behind with them as well.
So if you are looking for an elephant sanctuary in Laos, then look no farther than Mandalao tours and elephant sanctuary in Laung Prabang. My day with the elephants was one of the best travel experience I’ve had. The experience was authentic, responsible and left no doubt in my mind that Mandalao’s number one priority is the elephants’ well-being. As it should be. Be sure to sure to check out MandaLao when you visit Luang Prabang. You can find them onlineh ere.
Need a place to stay in Luang Prabang?
Budget: Kounsavan Guest House Midrange: The Golden Lotus Palace High end: The Three Nagas A huge thank you to MandaLao for inviting me to visit for the half day tour! Of course, all opinions are, as always, my own.
www.eatsleepbreathetravel.com/mandalao-tours-elephant-encounter-laos/
FILMS, PHOTOGRAPHY, TRAVEL RESOURCES
Ethical Elephant Tour in Luang Prabang in Laos: The Mandalao Experience - Film And Photographs | HandZaround
Hanna & Zach April 16, 2017
Luang Prabang, Laos, March 2017
They are the kind of people that we whole-heartedly support. No riding, no
You might remember that when we were in
hitting and no exploitation of the majestic
Thailand, we stumbled across an elephant
elephants. We were lucky enough to spend
sanctuary, which mistreated its elephants in
two days out in the jungle, filming and
front of our eyes. We didn't like it so we
photographing their elephants (including
used the power of social media to let
the cutest baby elephant ever, named Kit).
people know about it. Luckily, the sanctuary saw our posts and the video, and they fired
When you are able to walk alongside these
the person, who was aggressive towards
massive beasts and look into their eyes,
the elephants and was hitting them with a
you just sense their intelligence and self
sharp hook. They even uploaded the official
awareness.
papers of the police report filled against the man.
Please enjoy our photographs and short film about the MandaLao Elephant Experi-
Whilst in Luang Prabang, we had the privilege of helping MandaLao, an Intimate Non-Riding Elephant Experience, boost their social media presence with our photographs and a short film.
www.handzaround.com/journal-1/mandalao
ence and let us know what you think.
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Elephant tourism in Laos: how one ecotourism start-up provides the entertainment without the exploitation At MandaLao Elephant Sanctuary & Tours, visitors can walk with elephants, feed and splash them – but they can’t ride these retired work animals, whose back-breaking days of hefting heavy logs and howdahs full of tourists are over by: Tibor Krausz
Mr Kit, a boisterous elephant calf and resident of MandaLao Elephant Sanctuary & Tours, lives it up during bathing time in the Nam Khan River on the outskirts of Luang Prabang. Photo: Paul Wager
On a narrow path that winds through a grove of banyans and giant ferns by a babbling brook, a fallen tree lies across a muddy bank. Mr Kit takes an immediate interest in it, peeling off from his small party of wanderers to investigate. He nudges the heavy log with his head. It doesn’t budge, so Mr Kit decides to straddle it instead, rubbing his belly against it to scratch an itch. He dismounts and breaks into a run, then stumbles and skids down the slippery riverbank. He is unhurt and begins to wallow in the thick mud, before clambering back to his feet, caked in muck, and dashing off to rejoin his mother.
Mr Kit is a 16-month-old Asian elephant calf and duly behaves like a kid. He’s vigorous, rambunctious and mischievous. One minute he’s on his best behaviour, sucking milk from his mother, Tongkhun, under a strangler fig. The next, he’s off for some more devil-may-care hijinks. “The baby boy is pretty hysterical,” says Michael Vogler, an American conservationist who is one of the young elephant’s handlers. “He’s quite a trip.”
www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/2097069/elephant-tourism-laos-how-one-ecotourism-start-provides
Mr Kit is one of seven elephants at the sanctuary, the other six all being retired work elephants. Photo: Paul Wager
He’s also quite a draw at MandaLao Elephant Sanctuary & Tours, run by Vogler and a few other budding entrepreneurs. The ecotourism start-up offers refuge for six retired work elephants, and Mr Kit. It enables visitors to get up close and personal with the beasts in northern Laos, outside the ancient royal capital of Luang Prabang.
Tourists can walk with the sanctuary’s elephants on trails in countryside dotted with vegetable plots and little villages of bamboo shacks. They can splash water and moisturising herbal sprays on them at bathing time in the Nam Khan River. And they can feed them plantains (a banana-like fruit) and pose for pictures with them. But they can’t ride them.
Michael Vogler, founder of MandaLao Elephant Sanctuary & Tours, with one of the camp’s elderly elephants, which was rescued from a logging camp. Photo: Gregorio Rojas
Elephant tourism is popular in Laos, a mountainous country bordering Yunnan province in southern China where thousands of wild elephants used to roam.
www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/2097069/elephant-tourism-laos-how-one-ecotourism-start-provides
We saw that there was a really dismal state of affairs here – underfed and overworked elephants everywhere, chained up and prodded with hooks … We want to change that Michael Vogler
Today, according to Laos’ Elephant Conservation Centre, only 450 to 500 elephants remain in the wild, and about the same number in captivity. This in a country that once proclaimed itself the “Land of a Million Elephants”.
How Malaysia’s golden goose of ecotourism, Sabah, keeps the visitors coming Many of those in captivity have been chain ganged into hauling heavy loads at illegal logging sites, where they can suffer serious injuries. Others are used to entertain tourists whom they carry around on their backs, sometimes all day long, in howdahs, heavy canopies that can damage their spines.
“A lot of elephants are better off in logging camps than they are at these tourist places, [where] they get less food and are worked harder,” Vogler says. Not so at MandaLao. A self-described “outdoorsy guy” from Colorado, Vogler, 29, launched the venture last year with two of his friends and a Thai elephant expert as a way to promote responsible elephant tourism in Laos.
“We did it from the ground up every step of the way,” Vogler says. “We saw that there was a really dismal state of affairs here – underfed and overworked elephants everywhere, chained up and prodded with hooks. There are [carvings and paintings of] elephants on every [Buddhist] temple in town, but real-life elephants can be treated abysmally. We want to change that.” www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/2097069/elephant-tourism-laos-how-one-ecotourism-start-provides
MandaLao’s seven elephants, which were once forced to work in logging, are now living it up. They’re largely free to roam on 100 hectares of undulating meadow and forests leased from neighbouring villages. The animals, which each consume 200kg of food a day, can forage and feed to their heart’s content.
How the travel industry ‘greenwashes’ its eco credentials They also get tasty treats daily courtesy of a resident chef well versed in elephants’ dietary habits. Tourists, too, can make nutritious cupcakes for them using tamarind, sticky rice, herbs and rock salt. Feeding elephants is fun, but walking with them is even more entertaining. With another three day-trippers, I set off behind three of the sanctuary’s elephants, including Mr Kit, who is trotting alongside his mother. From the pebbled shores of the Nam Khan River, we follow the animals into nearby woods down a narrow trail between vegetable gardens. Maan, a matronly elephant, fancies a snack and snatches a stalk of corn from one of the gardens. The villagers tending their fields don’t mind: they get reimbursed by MandaLao for all the crops the elephants devour.
“We call this the elephant supermarket,” jokes Tai Anurak, 26, a guide who chaperones the three jumbos along with two mahouts, who walk beside their animals. Their job is to make sure the elephants don’t stray too far or make too much mischief. With Mr Kit around, that can be a bit of a challenge. “He’s a gentle animal but playful and naughty,” says Chom Tiyabua, 55, an experienced mahout who owns the calf and his mother. “He can be quite a handful.”
Community-based conservation projects like this can provide jobs and incomes to local people. This way we can wean them off animal exploitation and improve animal welfare Prasop Tipprasert
www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/2097069/elephant-tourism-laos-how-one-ecotourism-start-provides
You can say that again. Mr Kit sneaks up on me and tries to snatch the cap off my head. When he is foiled he snorts indignantly and stomps off. A moment later he’s back and tries again. Yet, unlike at other elephant camps in the country, mahouts at MandaLao don’t use hooks to prod or discipline elephants. Nor do they use chains to restrain them. “When I first asked the mahouts not to use hooks, they said, ‘No, that’s impossible,’” recalls Prasop Tipprasert, 57, MandaLao’s project director. “But you don’t have to use hooks with elephants. They’re highly intelligent and social animals. You can communicate with them.” Prasop is a Thai animal welfare expert who founded the Thai Elephant Conservation Centre in Lampang, in neighbouring Thailand, where he pioneered the concept of “positive reinforcement training” among captive elephants. Those in his care are rewarded for complying with orders, but aren’t punished for failing to do so. It takes longer to train the animals this way, but it’s far less stressful for them, he says. At times, during training sessions, Mr Kit playfully kicks Prasop and dashes away, inviting him for a chase. “I don’t give him a banana if he does that,” he says. Prasop has spearheaded efforts in his homeland to promote responsible elephant tourism to stop the majestic creatures from being used as giant playthings. “The elephants always come first,” he says. “We welcome visitors [at MandaLao], but we don’t force the elephants to do what they don’t want to do.”
Luang Prabang, Laos, first to get an Azerai hotel - Aman Resorts founder’s new brand His goal is to spread this model far and wide across Laos, where animal welfare remains rudimentary. But it isn’t just the sanctuary’s elephants that benefit from his approach – locals do, too. Most of the staff at MandaLao are from local communities, and the venture also buys produce in bulk from villagers to feed the elephants. “Community-based conservation projects like this can provide jobs and incomes to local people,” Prasop says. “This way we can wean them off animal exploitation and improve animal welfare. Making life better for elephants and better for local people – that’s what we’re trying to do.” Nang Ounkham, a villager who emerges from among trees on a forest trail, says: “We didn’t have elephants here before, but it’s good to have them.” For the elephants at MandaLao, the back-breaking work at logging camps is behind them and they won’t be subjected to the daily toil of carrying tourists on their weary backs any more. “Logging was hard and dangerous work for my elephants,” says Chom, the mahout. “They had to drag heavy logs uphill and downhill for many hours. Now I am happy for my elephants. They don’t have to work hard and can do whatever they want.”
www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/2097069/elephant-tourism-laos-how-one-ecotourism-start-provides
MandaLao Elephant Sanctuary in Luang Prabang, Laos
An elephant sanctuary in Luang Prabang, Laos, proves that tourism need not lead to exploitation by: Jo
Laos became known as this from fabled accounts of a procession of elephants crossing the Mekong River not far from Luang Prabang continuously for three days… meaning there must be at least a million elephants. We want to learn about responsible elephant experiences.
Why a Responsible Elephant Experience? Years ago large numbers of elephants roamed freely throughout the jungles of Laos.
widespread illegal logging and subsequent environmental destruction. This brings us back to the remaining elephants; now, with little remaining natural habitat and no longer needed for logging.
When ‘teak’ tree milling was introduced, the elephant’s natural habitat shrank alarmingly.
Elephants are expensive, and expensive to keep.
Elephants were needed to drag the timber out. Ironically; that need, was actually their savior.
First they were exploited and badly treated for logging; now it’s happening again in the name of ‘tourism’.
Deforestation in Laos has been a major environmental concern since the 1980’s. In 1991 all logging was banned, in hopes of controlling
Although many elephant operations and tours are branding themselves as ‘Eco’, ‘Responsible’, or ‘Ethical’, most are falling well short of anything
www.worldwideadventurers.com/mandalao-elephant-sanctuary-luang-prabang-laos/
like it. Elephants are still being ridden [with or without houdahs]; and hooks and hammers are still used to train the elephants. Elephant welfare is still low on the agenda in the majority of places. As you probably know; elephants are sentient beings. They’re intelligent, consciously aware and share many of the same emotional feelings we humans do.
We wanted to find an elephant sanctuary that truly respected that, by providing an intimate and caring elephant experience. An insight, if you like, into the hidden lives of elephants. That’s how we come to find MandaLao Elephant Sanctuary, in Luang Prabang, Laos. You can read more about our ‘five-hour elephant encounter’ with these Majestic MandaLao Elephants here.
About MandaLao Elephant Sanctuary
MandaLao; the name itself has a beautiful tone. Conjuring up something special and luxurious in our minds… We weren’t disappointed. The MandaLao Elephant Sanctuary lives up to its name in more ways than one. It’s a real sanctuary, with a difference. It isn’t all about one thing. It encompasses a much bigger vision – both today, and for future generations.
www.worldwideadventurers.com/mandalao-elephant-sanctuary-luang-prabang-laos/
While it provides a fantastic opportunity for the visitor; it’s also about creating a sustainable future for elephants, local communities and the natural world. MandaLao Elephant Sanctuary is tucked away in a beautiful jungle setting, on the edge of the Nam Khan River – just thirty minutes’ drive from Luang Prabang.
Heading back to the jungle after playing in the river – just look at that baby!
It offers exceptional and highly personalized expeditions. A truly intimate opportunity to experience ‘the heart of the elephant’ in their natural habitat – while ensuring its elephants have an enjoyable life.
The People – MandaLao Elephant Sanctuary We’re meeting with ‘Michael’ [ManadaLao co-owner] and ‘Prasop’. We want to learn more about the intimate side of Elephants, and the vision of the MandaLao Elephant Sanctuary. Prasop is the project director at MandaLao. He’s an intelligent, articulate man who commands a certain presence. He’s so engaging; we can see why the elephants love him.
Prasop has worked with elephants for thirty years and pioneered the ‘Positive Reinforcement Training Method’. This method eliminates the cruel, traditional physical training of caging, and use of hooks and hammers… A relaxed Prasop starts telling us about the intimate heart of elephants; smiling with every ‘elephant word’ that leaves his lips. His eyes shine when he talks about the mighty elephant; they are his life’s work he tells us. Heartwarming stories flow and his passion for elephants is a joy to listen to.
www.worldwideadventurers.com/mandalao-elephant-sanctuary-luang-prabang-laos/
MandaLao Elephant Sanctuary Vision It’s wonderful to learn; not only about elephants here, but also of MandaLao’s vision for the future. Michael tells us; ‘ManadaLao’s ultimate goal is to protect and preserve, both domesticated and wild elephants, from the abuse that logging and tourism has brought about…’ To do this they are conservation and community minded in all their activities.
MandaLao Elephant Sanctuary – Instrumental in altering the tourism of Elephants.
MandaLao are also working with the World Wildlife Fund (WWF); supporting its efforts to protect and patrol the Nam Pouy National Park in Laos. Currently the park is still plagued by elephant poachers, which is endangering the remaining small wild population. This protection is critical, as most bull elephants remain in the wild. Reintroducing domesticated elephants into the wild and breeding is part of the ultimate goal. ManadLao’s star, the baby elephant ‘Kit’ is an integral part of this.
MandaLao employ local people in their restaurant and employ local guides. They’ve partnered with local villagers to grow vegetables and crops for both the elephants, and the restaurant. They’re working to create awareness of the ‘positive reinforcement training process’… its adoption throughout the region (and in other elephant-inhabited countries) that will improve tourism and elephant welfare. Michael’s hope is that MandaLao will be instrumental in altering the tourism of elephants; so the elephants can live more naturally and without force.
www.worldwideadventurers.com/mandalao-elephant-sanctuary-luang-prabang-laos/
The Elephants of MandaLao Elephant Sanctuary Seven elephants currently call MandaLao home; actually we think they probably call it their luxury five star hotel.
The Matriach, Baby Kit and some of the MandaLao family.
There’s the ‘matriarch’ called ‘Manh’; she’s the boss of the herd, the other elephants all follow her lead. Manh is 38 years old and her mahout is 72 years old; he has cared for her since birth… so you can see how they develop such a strong, intimate bond. Then there’s Tongkhoun (Kit’s mother) age 33, Kit – who’s 17 months old, and four other gorgeous female elephants. Tonghoun age 40 – yes there’s two elephants with the same name! Buang Nguen age 53
Boon Tem age 35 Mea Tu age 40 They’re a close, intimate family who previously all worked together on a logging farm. Now on fifty hectares of lush jungle, with no hard labour – they’re in elephant heaven. They get to hang out and interact with people, wander in the jungle, bath, and feed in harmony with their natural surroundings where they roam freely.
www.worldwideadventurers.com/mandalao-elephant-sanctuary-luang-prabang-laos/
‘Kit’ the Baby Elephant Kit, the seventeen month old baby elephant also came from a logging camp in western Laos. Of course, ‘Kit’ is the star of the show… with his galavanting, climbing and sometimes cheeky antics. Cheeky… but oh so cute! Now, he’s a key part of MandaLao’s vision for the future.
The Matriach, Baby Kit and some of the MandaLao family.
Baby Kit – he knows he the centre of attention!
Normally young elephants are separated from their mothers at an early age and broken by abuse and fear.
Even before our long-boat hit the shore, the elephants came almost galloping towards us, ears flapping and tails swishing.
In contrast to traditional training techniques, this young one will be trained only with positive reinforcement and will stay with his mother until he’s nine or ten years old.
If an elephant approaches you with lazy, almost half closed eyes and it’s tailing swishing slowly from side to side, and ears flapping, it’s a good sign this animal is very relaxed.
It’s ManadaLao’s hope that when Kit reaches this age, he may be able to returned to the wild, where most bull elephants remain.
Elephants are highly sensitive and caring animals. If a baby elephant complains, the entire family will rumble and go over to touch and caress it.
Happy Elephants – How do we Know?
So are the ManadaLao elephants happy?
Honestly; it wasn’t hard to tell, at all…
The answer is an overwhelming yes… we can see it in their eyes, in their interactions, and in their constantly flapping ears.
www.worldwideadventurers.com/mandalao-elephant-sanctuary-luang-prabang-laos/
Hanging Out With the Majestic MandaLao Elephants I’m super excited, like a little kid, grinning from ear to ear – I just can’t wait to touch her. Watching these gentle creatures welcome us, and interact with each other is nothing short of magical. We offer them some special treats – a sure way to begin an instant friendship.
So much fun interacting with her… More bananas please…
Mingling, feeding and touching them, we gained a greater appreciation for just how intelligent and social they really are.
elephants are world class; as is their ongoing sustainability for elephant rehabilitation and rescue.
One thing you won’t find at Mandalao is elephant riding, elephant tricks or unnatural entertainment of any kind.
Mandalao Elephant Sanctuary initiatives are ground breaking.
It’s genuinely ethical and intimate. The truly responsible and non riding elephant experience. Period! This shines through from their positive reinforcement training methods for elephants and mahouts. Their education, respect and deep understanding of the feelings and emotions of the
From their support of the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) in protecting the wild herds in the Lam Pouy National Park, to increasing awareness and promoting sustainable elephant-friendly tourism, to enlisting and supporting local communities through growing crops, employment, and guides. And then there’s the MandaLao Elephant Sanctuary’s biggest goal… To return the elephants back to their natural
www.worldwideadventurers.com/mandalao-elephant-sanctuary-luang-prabang-laos/
habitats. Giving back the ‘Land of One Million Elephants’ to the Laos people. No, not one million elephants. But the true right to be called, ‘The Land of Elephants’… A land of elephants to share with the world. That’s an admirable and lofty goal. Only visionaries like MandaLao have any chance of achieving it. We not only support their quest, we feel privileged and proud to be part of the MandaLao Experience. You can read more about our ‘five-hour elephant encounter’ with these Majestic MandaLao Elephants here.
MandaLao Elephant Sanctuary Tours MandaLao Tours offer Five Intimate Tours; four are half day, and one full day. All MandaLao Elephant Sanctuary tours take you through the mysterious beauty of the Laos jungle with their recently rescued elephants as your close companions. The journey is a perfect way for these happy elephants to enjoy a walk in their natural habitat after decades of hard labour in logging camps. And for guests; it’s a once-in-a-lifetime, intimate experience to learn from these majestic animals… and a real opportunity to be at one with their calming energy. MandaLao Elephant Sanctuary, Luang Prabang, Laos MandaLao Elephant Sanctuary guides and mahouts teach us to understand the ways in which elephants and humans communicate with one another. All tours offer a special introduction to elephant behavior with Prasop – and how we should interact with them. Once this connection is made it’s almost impossible not to see many of our own emotions in them.
As you walk alongside the elephants and crisscross through the cool water you’ll experience a profound sense of understanding, respect, and caring for these amazing animals. You’ll want the full day ‘Into the Hearts of Elephants’ tour, where you get to spend around five hours with the elephants. Even then you won’t want to say goodbye to your new found friends. Trust me; you can never get enough time with elephants. But; if you’re short on time, then a half day will still give you an incredible experience.
What to Know before you Go MandaLao Elephant Sanctuary provides; water, tea, coffee and special boots for trekking in the jungle, water and mud. They also provide rain ponchos (in case it rains), and of course loads of sweet bananas for humans and hand-feeding the elephants. • Take your sense of adventure and fun • Don’t worry if you get wet and muddy (only in rainy season) • Contact MandaLao Elephant Sanctuary to book your experience • Visit them in the main street of Luang Prabang MandaLao Elephant Sanctuary provides a unique chance to participate in something entirely new and intimate in elephant tourism in Laos. The appeal for us is the company vision, the unique individuals behind it, and the potential to change the future of elephant welfare and tourism in Laos and South East Asia. Our Elephant Experiences were sponsored by ‘MandaLao Elephant Sanctuary’. As always, our thoughts and writings are based solely on our personal feelings and experiences.
www.worldwideadventurers.com/mandalao-elephant-sanctuary-luang-prabang-laos/
MandaLao Elephant Conservation: a paradise for rescued elephants In the lush green hills outside of Luang Prabang in northern Laos, sits the first elephant sanctuary in the country, MandaLao Elephant Conservation About a 30 minutes drive from the centre of Luang Prabang in northern Laos, sits MandaLao Elephant Conservation. Despite being so close to a city, the sanctuary is surprisingly remote and rural. Spanning around 500 acres of lush green forest, trees, and hills, the area is ideal for MandaLao’s nine elephants to roam free.
Established in September 2016, MandaLao's mission is to demonstrate the highest level of care possible to captive elephants and influence the growth of ethical elephant tourism. Photo courtesy of Nick Axelrod
To reach the sanctuary, you must drive through a few small villages where many of the local residents are involved with MandaLao in one way or another, whether it be farmers who grow crops for the elephants to eat or laborers who are helping to build the new enclosures.
Life for an elephant at MandaLao
Soon after, you reach the sanctuary, where there is a beautifully built house and welcome area. Here, visitors can delight in the stunning view of the Nam Khan river and the forested sanctuary area across the water.
The elephants may not be able to roam the wild again but they are given every opportunity to perform their natural behaviors as elephants should.
It’s a genuine paradise for the elephants, here, with the guidance of their mahouts, they can roam freely in their natural groups, play and swim in the river, and eat as much as they want.
www.worldanimalprotection.ca/news/mandalao-elephant-conservation-paradise-rescued-elephants
We spoke to the sanctuary's owner, Michael Vogler, to learn more about the daily lives of elephants at MandaLao. "We started taking them on morning walks and we’d go up a small stream nearby, through the jungle, so it’s always nice and cool, they’re in water, it’s good for their feet, there’s food for
them to eat – so it’s almost like a form of physical therapy for them. It’s kind of just a perfect environment and after that we kind of figured out we could bring in humans to join in on the elephants’ daily routine, primarily just observational – walking with them through the jungle, feeding them a few bananas from time to time."
In early 2018 World Animal Protection funded the building of a daytime socialization area, and night time enclosure. Pictured: Michael Vogler (co-owner) with Mae Kham (left) and Mae Tu (right). Photo courtesy of Nick Axelrod.
While the elephants will still interact with tourists who come in small groups to observe them, Vogler ensures that he gives the elephants "the rest and peace they deserve and allow a limited number of guests to come out in an ethical and careful way to interact with them."
Freed from chains We are also funding a daytime socialization area and night-time enclosure for Mandalao's elephants, so they can be free to interact without being constrained by the chains that they have been tied to for most of their lives.
Just this small change, made a huge difference in the lives of these animals. "I'd never seen the mahouts or the elephants so happy and relaxed - ears flapping, tails swinging, just walking around and socializing," says Vogler. The majority of the land is comprised of dense trees and vegetation, containing crops that cater to the needs of elephants. We look forward to seeing how the sanctuary continues to grow, and how Vogler's plans to branch out and help the remaining elephants that reside in Laos come to fruition.
At night, the elephants are also free to socialize, walk around and relax, completely unchained.
www.worldanimalprotection.ca/news/mandalao-elephant-conservation-paradise-rescued-elephants
Oct Pok Tok
Mandolo
S I FLY INTO THE riverside town of Luang Prabang, forested green hills carpet most of the land below. These jungles were once home to many herds of wild elephants-Laos was formerly known as Lan Xang, Land of One Million Elephants but after many decades of poaching and deforestation, the number has shrunk to just 400 left in the wild. Elephant tourism has become a major draw throughout South-east Asia, but many of these 'sanctuaries' play just as harmful a role as the logging camps they were rescued from, using aggressive training techniques and violent tools to control the elephants around guests. MandaLao Elepehant Convservation, a truly eco conscious sanctuary in Luang Prabang, is changing the status quo. After crossing the Nam Khan river into MandaLao's current 80-hectare property; 10 giant pachyderms come into sight, about to feast on a mountainous breakfast of bananas, com, napier grass and sugar cane. MandaLao's co-founder Michael Vogler tells me breakfast time can be pretty frenzied as
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the elephants love to socialise with each other, something most tourism camps don't allow. One cheeky elephant, the 35-year-old matriarch of the herd Mae Mahn, even stages a break-in at a nearby storage hut, stealing bundles of sugar cane. "We've got the fattest, healthiest elephants in the country;" Vogler says. When the elephants arrive at MandaLao they not only come with deep scars, abscesses and injuries caused by riding saddles from other camps, but they are also often very malnourished. "Elephants need to eat 200 kilograms of food a day. Many camps will only feed them bamboo, which doesn't provide a balanced diet," says Prasop Tipprasert, MandaLao's project director, a Thai conservationist and pioneer of Positive Reinforcement Training methods with elephants. Instead of using an angkut, a metal hammer with a hook at the end, to control the animals, the mahouts (trainers) here use only positive communication, in a language that's neither Lao, English or Elephant. There's also no riding on MandaLao tours and no bathing the beasts in the nearby river. Instead we spend the day walking through the jungle with the elephants, and foraging food for them along the way. Much like what they would do as a group in the wild. There was no set path, we just followed the elephants through thick bamboo groves and former rubber-tree
plantations and out onto an open rice field. MandaLao has just purchased 50,000 hectares of forest from the government to turn into a national park, where Michael and his team plan on releasing their three-year-old baby bull, Kit, into the wild once he's matured. The eventual goal will be to boost the country's wild elephant population, and maybe one day become Lan Xang again. ďż˝ mandalaotours.com
As an editorial travel photographer, I keep my gear to a minimum so I don't have to check in luggage. This particular trip I travelled with two camera bodies, my Sony A7ii and A9. Because of the nature of the shoot I knew I needed quick access to a wide range of focal lengths. I kept the Sony 16-24mm F4 on the A7ii for wider shots, and with my main body (A9) I switched between the Sony 24-?0mm f2.8 and Zeiss Batis 85mm fl.8 to get intimate shots of the elephants. I also used a fast manual wide angle lens, my Laowa 15mm f2, for a different, more creative look.
A Quiet Walk to Remember
nion with these large giants somehow fits well with Luang Prabang’s mood. So several
Words Anutra Ungsuprasert
months later, I head back, determined to
Photos Thalay Thammapakkul, Anutra
walk shoulder to shoulder with the
Ungsupraset, Shutterstock
elephants.
They say life is slow in Luang Prabang. You
Staying at Rosewood Luang Prabang prop-
can’t imagine how slow until you get there.
erty, a 10-minute drive from town, is very
This lovely UNESCO World Heritage city,
relaxing. It feels like being in one of Rudy-
and a former Lao capital, still stands regal in
ard Kipling’s adventures. The resort is
its peacefulness – the way it’s been for
nestled in a lush forested valley split down
many years.
the middle by a waterfall and the river it feeds. All rooms are named after a famous
My visit to Luang Prabang last September –
person with a historical connection to
rainy and not quite satisfactory – meant a
Southeast Asia, and a view of the Nam
return trip to this sunny land was required.
Dong river. You hear its dancing flow while
But another reason that pulled me back was
crickets chirp and birds sing.
missing the elephant sanctuary on my last trip. I was told the slow, meditative commu-
Later, I walked to the higher point of the property where hilltop tented rooms sit. The luxurious white glamping tent-design rooms afford an impressive view of the property, evoking a sense of camping in the woods. What it’s like being a real explorer? To sleep in the woods, or simply stay radically basic like our ancestors? I dream on and wonder what it was like when this land was once called Lanxang, the land of a million elephants. I envision kings riding on the majestic animals as their ‘workhorse’ during the war. Nowadays, only about 400 exist in the wild, and another 400 to 500 in captivity. But a non-profit organisation aims to increase the elephant population in this country. The “Lao Elephant Initiative” is a collaboration between Michael Vogler, an Environmental Sciences graduate from Portland State University in the USA along with his friend, and a veteran elephant expert from Thailand, Mr. Prasop Tipprasert. All share a passion for wildlife preservation, with Mr. Prasop having worked in Thailand’s elephant population for 27 years with his pioneering project at Chiang Mai University.
Nicknamed “Jane & Tarzan” in Thailand, the programme reintroduces elephants to each other in a natural environment. They send “Jane” into the jungle where she finds “Tarzan”, they honeymoon for 2 months and hopefully have a baby. After 2 and a half years in a sanctuary, the elephants are sent back to the jungle – a national park or “university”. The mission in Laos is the same, to increase the number of elephants. But before I visit the elephant sanctuary, I touch base with historic Luang Prabang. Staying near the Nam Khan river, I grab a hotel bike and go into the historic district, passing the 100-metre-high Mount Phousi on my way, the most popular hiking summit for sunrise and sunset views with the golden temple of Wat Chom Si at its top. At the foot of the hill sits the Traditional Arts and Ethnology Centre which exhibits the district cultures of various ethnic groups. Next to it is the famous gilded Wat Xieng Thong, dating back to the 16th century. I paddle along the riverside where Nam Khan meets the Mekong. From there I make a stop at the Luang boat pier, rather than cross the Mekong river to Pak Ou Caves
packed with more than 4,000 Buddha images, I take a boat to see Xangkhong village and their handicraft products. Apart from disappointing touristy craft shops, the boat ride isn’t that bad. I have a chance to gaze at life along the river, watching the fishermen’s catch of the day and water buffaloes working the rice fields. When my stomach grumbles, I give Bouang restaurant a try, with its fusion Laotian food. The restaurant is located almost at the end of the Sisavangvong Road where rows of restaurants lie. The food at Bouang is pretty lovely and delicious. They have their own version of Mango Sticky Rice – different from Thailand and elsewhere – they use purple sticky rice cooked in coconut milk, rolled in black & white sesame and fresh grated coconut. I ride back down the restaurant lane where I enter into a small entrance of an old temple sitting behind bar and restaurant shop houses next to Wat Siphoutthabath temple. Inside, a group of young novices work and restore the walkway. Other people dry hundreds of pieces of white flour on bamboo covered with newspapers. “It’s
called Khanom Khee Noo (fried flour snack) that you see selling on streets. After the flour batter is deep fried, they will be golden, sweet, and a bit salty, crispy,” the snack vendor guarantees. I go back to my favourite night market. Last time, I bought some interesting cloth wristwatches made from handmade strips and beautiful graphically textiles. Even though it looks pretty much the same, but there is some thing that draws people to come back – the atmospheric lighting, the smell of street food and people’s laughter. This time, I’m drawn into a small alley, the first one on the left when you cross the road from the post office. It is jam-packed with local food stalls – grilled Mekong fish, pork ribs, chicken and papaya salad. It was surprisingly unattractive with a black papaya that was longer and wider than what I know. Its appearance may have looked good, but there’s no telling with the taste! Everything, especially the pork ribs are made fresh, juicy and grilled medium well. mouth-watering indeed.
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Anyway, I keep the best for last – my big day with the elephants. I wake up early in the morning and our local guide takes me and nine other people in van. Only 30 minutes away is MandaLao, the non-riding elephant sanctuary. As the name suggests, guests aren’t given any chance to ride on the calm creatures. MandaLao just turned two years old, founded by an American, Michael Vogler. He and his friend moved to Laos and started eco-tourism activities under “MandaLao Tours” and at the same time save the elephants with the “Lao Elephant Initiative”. Recently, there are 9 elephants at the sanctuary – 8 females and a 2 and a half years old male, named Mr. Kit or Mr. Tarzan Junior, who was born through the reintroduction programme. Mr. Prasop, the Thai elephant conservationist, told us the orientation, “No babies, no future. I helped the elephant population in Thailand increase by 7% each year. I want to do the same in Laos.” For Mr. Prasop, saving these animals is not just for the animals themselves.
“I cannot just say, please save the elephants because they are cute. They bring us rain, oxygen, reduce global warming, etc. Each of them eat 200-250kg every day and return more than half of the nutrients back to the ground. They eat for us – they make the ground more fertile, and the fertile soil gives us food,” he said, before sending all of us to join the elephants in the sanctuary. Ten of us are taken on a boat crossing to the other side from the reception point. A few minutes later, we found ourselves standing, feeling so tiny, close to 3 elephants-43-year-old Kham, 50-year-old Marn, and 43-year-old Pheng – with loads of bananas. We begin to assess each other, but they just love us because we have tons of bananas for them. Over the next 3 hours, we walk with the elephants and their mahouts in the jungle. We need to lead and the elephants follow – this is to avoid them stomping on our feet. We go side by side quietly at the same speed – about 3 to 4km per hour – feeling very much in touch with nature and with these awe-inspiring beasts. The elephants
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walking through the forest naturally with nothing on their backs makes you really feel they are truly wild, and independent creatures. “They love touching, hugging and kissing, but avoid the burn and tail. They don’t like it. Touching their head, ears, trunk, it’s okay,” instructs the guide. Along the way, the 3 elephants make many stops to eat their favourite food which is wild creepers. We can tell that these elephants are happy as they flap their ears and swing their tails. Joining this activity in the middle of the jungle gives me such peace of mind, and respect for nature and fellow beings. And yes, Mr. Prasop is right. “Not riding [the
elephants] is not everything,” he says. “It is nothing if you don’t care about the welfare of these elephants. And to make this work, you cannot just do it only in one country. Now I’m working with many friends to build a network within Cambodia, Thailand, Myanmar, and Laos called the ‘Trans-boundary Wildlife Conservations.’ These elephants don’t care if they are Thai or Lao as long as they have bananas.” Getting there: Bangkok Airways has a direct flight from Bangkok to Luang Prabang – one flight per day; and 3 flights per week (Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday) from Chiang Mai, Thailand to Luang Prabang, Laos PDR.
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