Koh Samui, Thailand is an island off the east coast of the long, narrow peninsula the country shares with Malaysia and Myanmar. Nestled in the warm waters of the Gulf of Thailand, Samui is a beautiful example of Thailand’s tropical allure and has much to offer the adventurous tourist, from ubiquitous Buddhist temples to jungle tours and waterfall hikes as well as a colorful nightlife.
White sand beaches and turquoise waters beckon with endless sport choices from swimming to snorkeling to jet skis to fishing. And the food, of course! All those spicy curries, zesty sauces, fresh spring rolls, satays, fried prawns or whole fish make for a mouthwatering banquet.
On my first trip to Thailand this winter with my husband Layne, we chose Samui largely because we have a good friend living there, an Aussie named Graeme, who was our gracious host and tour guide. And while I was certainly interested in all those touristy attractions, my primar desire was to make the acquaintance of a real live elephant.
Who doesn’t love these magnificent animals? Their massive bulk of some 3 to 6 tons holds a highly intelligent being with a brain weighing between 9 and 13 pounds. Slightly smaller than the African elephant, the Asian version is actually endangered, so sanctuaries are very important in preserving this unique creature.
Unlike the wild African pachyderm, the Asian model usually only has short tusks called tushes that protrude just a few inches from the lip. Also unlike the African, the Asian elephant can be domesticated and trained. As a result, they have been used for centuries to do arduous work for humans.
Layne and I had read of the abusive treatment required to train Asian elephants for trekking or carrying tourists on their backs, so we didn’t want to support that activity. Using hooks, ropes, hunger, and other painful tools and techniques, wild elephants have been taught to do tricks, to paint, to stand on their hind legs, and to engage in other unnatural behaviors.
My online research before the trip had alerted me to the Samui Elephant Sanctuary (SES) in Bophut, which offers a different way to enjoy these beautiful beasts other than in zoos or on trekking tours. It’s set on seven acres of tropical woodlands where six (so far) resident elephants, all females, live a more natural existence.
All of these animals were used in logging until it was banned by the government in 1989. They were then put into trekking, where hour after hour, day after day, they carried heavy loads of tourists in tropical heat and humidity. Of the six elephants currently at SES, two of them are blind in one eye, one has a chunk missing from one ear, and another has foot injuries from mahout mistreatment.
The oldest is Khum Phean, aged 62, and fondly referred to as Grandma. After years of logging, she spent about 30 years giving rides to tourists, and was rescued and taken to SES in June of 2018. Although elephants are social animals, Grandma tends to stay to herself.
Like all Asian elephants, she’s decorated with freckles on her forehead and ears, whereas the African species are uniformly gray. The tour started with an introduction and video, including a number of cautions about being around such large and powerful animals: Don’t stand directly in front of them; don’t stand behind them or touch other parts of their bodies; don’t feed them in the mouth, only let them take the food with their trunks; and other warnings of undesirable human behaviors.
Properly prepared, our first experience with the elephants was feeding them through the pipe fence that encloses their territory. Since the sanctuary isn’t large enough for them to forage for their food, these elephants are fed more than 250 pounds of food per day and many gallons of water.
They have learned that when we tourists arrive, they can count on yummy treats, so they gladly came up to the fence where we handed them bananas. Their calm acceptance of such delicacies was simply magical. Even a small girl of perhaps four years was able to hand-feed these gentle giants. After years of harsh treatment and heavy work, it can take a few months of working with one handler for the elephants to trust humans again, but the girls at SES seemed happy to be hand-fed.
Next, we were separated into groups of about ten people, given heavy bags of cut watermelon, and allowed into the enclosure. The elephants were spaced out at feeding platforms and kept in place with quiet voice and soft hand commands from their handlers. As we approached each one, our tour guide introduced her and gave some details of her life history, including injuries she may have suffered. As we fed them chunks of watermelon, the girls patiently allowed us to pet their trunks and take photos.
When each group had visited all of the elephants, we walked down to the specially built pool where the resident elephants enjoy a bath or a swim. Next to the pond is a mud hole where they relish spraying their backs and bellies with the cooling mud. Looking back up the hill, we were wide-eyed to see these giant girls plodding down to the water, raising dust and pounding the earth. An elephant enthusiastically on the move is an awesome sight!
Grandma led the way into the pond and washed off a bit before lifting herself out at the other corner. After a proper mud bath, several others got in and splashed around, providing us with a wonderful sight.
The $100 cost of this tour may seem steep, but when you consider how important such a sanctuary is, how much money and staff it takes to maintain it, and the additional aspects of the tour (including free transportation to and from your hotel and a delightful vegetarian buffet lunch), you realize it’s actually a bargain. Plus, SES has been awarded Best Animal Welfare by the Tourism Authority of Thailand, a notable achievement.
My visit to the Samui Elephant Sanctuary was a dream come true for me and is a memory that will stay with me forever.
Update: In early April, I received an email from SES describing the strain the coronavirus pandemic has had on the sanctuary, the fact they have had to close, and asking for donations. They depend on ecotourism for their funding and receive no support from the Thai government. If you would like to donate, they accept PayPal contributions here: http://paypal.me/SamuiElephants.
Kat Sunlove is a former publisher of a weekly newsmagazine, editor, journalist, and free speech lobbyist. An adventurer by nature, Kat longs to see the world, experience other cultures, and learn from the journey. She and her husband, Layne Winklebleck, who often serves as her photographer, spent four years in Costa Rica, where she blogged about their many humorous and hair-raising adventures. She served as the retirement columnist for TheCostaRicaNews.com and worked as a travel writer for a number of travel websites. Her blog is FabulistadeCR.blogspot.com.
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