Thailand Elephant Phuket

#elephant #phuketelephant

At the Elephants At 9 Dee Phuket, we are offering elephants a place to live free from danger or harm. We keep them together as a family and do not torture or train them, meaning we do not allow any tourist to ride them, teach them tricks, or make them perform in any way.

So they write about themselves but is this true ?

Are elephants in Thailand beaten and abused for profit?

Historically, elephants in Thailand have been used as laborers, carrying heavy loads from the jungle where vehicles were unable to go. However, more recently, they are used to attract tourists, whether it is by performing tricks in an entertainment venue, out walking the hot sands of the beach for photos, or carrying tourists on their backs for trekking expeditions. Because of this, the elephants are often mistreated, beaten, or injured.

Is it worth buying a ticket to meet with elephants?

Elephant sanctuaries are established to help as many elephants as possible. Animals taken from captivity, beaten and old animals working in circuses are brought there. Elephants are provided with conditions like in the wild - they feel like they are in the wild in which elephants can live and thrive, they cannot just set free because they do not fit and would not know how to survive.

1 step - food and medicine preparation

Before we meet elephants, we need to find out what elephants eat and how to prepare food for them. Prepare also care measures for some of them and a special little spa.

Elephants are herbivores, and eat ripe bananas, leaves, bamboo, tree bark, and other fruits

It takes 16-18 hours of the elephant's day to eat, the rest of the time they sleep

Some of them need special nutrition and herbs

We prepare a special mixture of herbs to rub into elephant skin

2 step - rubbing prepared herbs into the skin of elephants

The first encounter with elephants makes a great impression, especially on children. We don't know who enjoyed the children or the little elephants more. For elephants it is a lot of fun to be hand-fed and rubbed with special herbs that bring them relief.

3 step - feeding

We go up the path, elephants eat our entire supply of 80 kg of bananas and 50 kg of bamboo on the way. It is still only a part of their daily needs. Several hundred meters we reach a small one. Elephant feeding is great fun.

Elephants are very friendly, they especially sense positive energy in children and are happy to play with them

By visiting an elephant sanctuary, we learn more about the lives of these giants and provide these elephants with the life they deserve with healthy food, veterinary care, plenty of areas to wander around, and even a mud spa to have fun and cool off on our hot days in Phuket.

4 step - mud spa

The mud spa or elephant mud bath is not only fun for the elephants, but it is also a way to build a natural defense on their skin to keep them clean. Elephants really like to be clean as their skin is sensitive.

5 step - shower

We're going to shower with the elephants. We need a shower more than elephants :-) it is also a time for a commemorative photo and a goodbye to great friends.

It is estimated that at the turn of the 20th century, the number of Asian elephants in Thailand was around 100,000 and possibly millions worldwide. However, worldwide the population has now declined to around 30,000; of them only 2,500 - 4,000 live in Thailand and the majority live in captivity.

Is it very important to care for elephants ?

In our opinion, getting to know elephants up-close, what unique animals they are. Realize that they deserve to be treated with love, care and respect.

Is the elephant in such a sanctuary well treated ?

You must know and be aware that the elephant has a better or worse day. May be in a bad mood. To keep us safe, someone has to control him.

An elephant that falls into disarray will accidentally harm not only people, it can also destroy everything on its way.

The elephant is ruled by his Mahout, he is responsible for the elephant, he is his friend and he looks after him all the time.

That is why we sometimes see Mahout holding an elephant by the ear.

Tickets

If you want to buy a ticket to the sanctuary, buy it online directly from their website - usually the cost of the transfer from home to Phuket is included.

Price list:

Half day care - ca. 2600 adult

Half day care - ca. 1800 child