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 elephant-friendly 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 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).
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.
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 itself is one testament to this evolving trend. Currently, the sanctuary is now listed as the No.1 outdoor activity on TripAdvisor for Luang Prabang.
Vogler added that because many tourists are very well travelled, more and more of them are aware of different alternatives, as well as the situation of elephant treatment worldwide. He said many guests are excited to see a no-riding sign, that there are people who care for these giant creatures and are not interested in exploiting them.
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.
For now, he doesn't think he will expand the conservation project to include other types of animals.
"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.
Visit mandalaotours.com.
A picturesque scene of nature within MandaLao, Luang Prabang.
Crossing Nam Khan River to reach the other part of the sanctuary.
