13 Elephants rescued from Middle-Eastern Zoo

We’d love to share the story of the “Caravan of Hope” with you with this video.

The Laotian Prime Minister has prevented the illegal sale of Laotian elephants to a foreign zoo. These 13 elephants were kept forest that didn’t provide them with enough food. Looking for a sustainable solution, the government contacted the Elephant Conservation Center to see if we would be able to take them in. After working out the terms, we received an extension to the land concession, bringing the total surface to 530 hectares. This extra land will provide us with extra pastures to take in even more elephants.

We decided that it would be better to walk the elephants from Thongmixay, where they were stationed, to Sayaboury. First going through the protected area of Nam Phouy, afterward staying close to forested areas where there is plenty of food and water. They would have to walk for 150 km, for 5 days. We asked local mahouts to help us with this ordeal. They would also be caring for the elephants when they arrived at the ECC. These mahouts have been working in logging before. Together with the Elephant Care team, they will learn new techniques and train with positive reinforcement.

When the elephants arrived at the Center, they unloaded their chairs and chains for the very last time. Now they get the opportunity to become elephants again and interact freely with each other.