Care comes first
We are not a show. We are a home for domesticated elephants — and every activity we offer is built around their health, comfort and natural behaviour, following the internationally recognised Five Freedoms of animal welfare. Here is the real reason behind each one.
Hand-feeding teaches our elephants to open their mouths on cue. That lets our mahouts and vets check their teeth, tongue and gums regularly — with no sedation. For young elephants especially, this gentle daily routine catches problems early. It isn’t a trick; it’s preventive healthcare.
Read: a lifetime of elephant teeth
A single shard of glass or a small wound on natural ground can turn serious. By keeping them comfortable having their feet handled, we can clean and treat injuries calmly — without anaesthetic, without force, without stress. The “foot spa” you see is years of trust that protects them when it counts.
Read: why we have a foot spa
A domesticated elephant left idle all day becomes bored and stressed. Walking the forest lets them move, forage and socialise the way elephants are meant to — exactly what the Five Freedoms call the freedom to express natural behaviour.
Elephants have almost no sweat glands — just tiny ones near the toenails. To cool an enormous body, they rely on flapping their ears, splashing in water and coating themselves in mud. Time in the river isn’t a gimmick; it’s how they stay comfortable in the heat. And honestly — they love it.
Our mahouts are Karen — a community that has lived with and cared for elephants for generations. The traditional clothing they wear is their own heritage, worn with pride. The bond between a mahout and his elephant is built over years, and that trust is the foundation of everything we do.
An open invitation
We welcome every question. Come spend a morning with us in Mae Rim, just 30 minutes from Chiang Mai.
