There are two young elephants that have been rescued. They have not known mistreatment for so much of their lives, bringing hope that they may mate successfully one day at the facility, or perhaps after being successfully returned to the wild, which would be the most ideal scenario.

From Left to Right: Mae Khram, Mae Khien, baby Noy & Mae Bounnum.Elephants are introduced and form bonds and hierarchy on their own. Those who do not get along are not forced to be together. There is plenty of room for them to roam separately.

The long-term goal is to return as many elephants to the wild as possible. Unfortunately, this is not as simple as just opening a cage and allowing them to roam free. Elephants are social, familial creatures. They move in herds that are formed not necessarily by relation but by compatibility.

The ECC staff help elephants learn to hunt by hiding food and alternating the hiding place. Mr. Phongsavath steadies a ladder for Mike as he hides food for the hunt.

Like all animals, elephants must hunt for food in the wild. When raised in captivity they are deprived of the skill development needed for independent survival. Not knowing how to survive they tend to turn up in villages if they escape captivity on their own looking for food and terrify people which often leads to people or elephants getting hurt.

DohKhoon Mieung successfully sniffs out a meal.

The Elephant Conservation Center helps elephants develop hunting and socialization skills. Ideally, small herds will form and gradually be reintroduced to the wild and eventually released to live on their own. This takes a great deal of time and effort. In captivity they have handlers called mahouts. The mahout profession is commonly handed down from generation to generation and one mahout’s salary can be the primary income for an entire village. As the number of captive elephants gets lower, finding work has become more difficult for mahouts.

Mae Bounmi Noy (right), Mae Khoon One (left) enjoy a snack on their way to the river with Mahout Mr. Souban.

Human interaction is limited as much as possible and happens almost completely through the mahout. Because the elephants come from captivity, they have been conditioned to follow commands. Working with a mahout is familiar and helpful in transitioning them to their new environment and freedom.