By Viv Lanting (Jack's mom) All photos by Viv Lanting
When my husband Tracy nd I traveled to Thailand from New Zealand in April 2009 with our eight- year-old son Jack, we never imagined that visiting the Elephant Nature Park would be one of the most amazing and life-changing experiences of our lives.
Nestled in the beautiful Mae Taeng Valley, the Elephant Nature Park is a non-profit sanctuary and refuge for elephants who have suffered the most horrendous abuse imaginable. Here, their wounds are tended to and their trust in humans is restored by the love and care they receive, sometimes for the first time in their lives.
At the Elephant Nature Park you will find no exploitation of these endangered, noble giants, no confinement with chains; nor will you ride in saddles on top of their backs. The lucky elephants who get to call this sanctuary home will never work again, nor will they know abuse. Instead, they are happy and healthy, forming family groups of their own choosing, and living out the remainder of their lives in peace and with dignity.
On our arrival at the sanctuary, we were struck by the sight of elephants everywhere roaming freely against a breathtaking backdrop of jungle-clad mountains and the tranquil peace for both humans and elephants alike. A few elephants meandered over to greet us on our arrival, out of curiosity perhaps, but more than likely there was an anticipation of food. It is all about the food with elephants; it has to be when you consider that they eat through 135kg of food a day! Not long after we arrived the food bell was rung and a near stampede of hungry mouths brought us and the other visitors up close and personal with the 30-plus elephants who currently live at the sanctuary.
Each elephant has its own basket of food and preference when it comes to the food in it. Some like their fruit peeled, others won't eat their veggies until they are satisfied that their fruit is all gone, and some try to steal their favorite foods from others. Visitor numbers are kept low so there are always enough elephants for everyone to have one of their own to feed.
The highlight of our stay at the Elephant Nature Park was meeting a very special elephant called Lily. Lily introduced herself to Jack soon after our arrival at the park as he was sitting quietly on the ground by himself. When I heard him giggling, I turned around and was stunned to see that Jack had the trunk of Lily, a fifty-four-year-old elephant, wrapped gently around him. From that moment on, Jack and Lily became inseparable friends, just as a boy and his dog might be. It was surreal to see them together, and many at the park commented on how extraordinary their relationship was.
Lily came from a life in the illegal logging industry, where she was fed methamphetamines to keep her working around the clock, seven days a week, until she finally had a physical and nervous breakdown. She was shaking, unable to eat, and convulsing when Lek found her chained to a tree. It took several years to bring Lily off her drug addiction and return life back to her eyes. But incredibly she is now one of the loveliest and most gentle souls you will ever meet.
On a walk around the park with Jodi, we were introduced to many of the elephants and told of an American couple who had visited the park and heard how one of the leased elephants who had been brought back to health over an 18-month period was about to be sold by its owners. They had been so touched by this elephant's story that the husband decided to buy the creature asa birthday present for his wife - and then donated it back to the Elephant Nature Park. In doing so, he saved this elephant from a life of misery and begging on the streets of Bangkok.
Oh, how one story can change your life forever! Jack instantly wanted to save an elephant too. We explained to Jack how we could not afford to do the same and although he was disappointed, we assumed that was the end of the idea. We were very, very wrong, as we found out several days later when Jack brought up the subject again. Only this time, he had a plan. Jack had thought up at least 10 different fundraising ideas to help raise the money needed to save an elephant. He had planned his strategy well and with his teary eyes looking up at us, there was no option but to say Yes to our incredibly determined little boy. Since our return to New Zealand , Jack has raised $6,500 towards the $20,000 that he needs to save an elephant on our return to Thailand this year. He has named his charity "A Life Like Lily," in honor of his pachyderm friend, and plans to donate "his" elephant to the Elephant Nature Park, with any excess money going towards the medical care that this elephant is inevitably going to need.
Along with raising money, Jack has also been focused on raising awareness of the plight of Thailand's elephants in a bid to educate future travelers to Thailand "so they can make good choices," he says. Jack has had a lot of success with the support of our town's newspaper - he has appeared in the paper numerous times, had a four-page spread in a magazine, been interviewed by Jim Mora on the National Programme, and has been spoken about on the TV news and on a top current affairs programme. He has also convinced Harvey World Travel to hand out information to customers traveling to Thailand throughout their 60 stores, and they increased their support by posting this information on their web page, which in turn was picked up and printed in a travel agent's travel magazine.
We are all very busy people these days, organizing a motor bike trail ride and training hard for a 25km sponsored walk; Jack is also painting pictures of elephants for an exhibition he is having. So far, Jack has raised money through crazy hair days at local schools, held a garage sale and raffle, sold Magical Reindeer Oats in shops around town, sold lemonade at the end of the drive, and held a celebrity auction. In addition, Jack also hires out his bouncy castle and has a constant stream of orders for his famous chocolate cake.
We were incredibly sad to leave Lily and everyone at the Elephant Nature Park . It was an inspiring time for us and we felt that we had made a contribution to conservation. These elephants will hold a special place in our hearts and will remain in our memories for a lifetime. As tourists, we hold the future of the Asian elephant in our hands. We have the ability to choose responsible travel with our tourist dollars, and in doing so, the power en masse to secure a better future for these beautiful, peaceful creatures.
