The Golden Triangle Asian Elephant Foundation

Introduction to The Foundation

The Golden Triangle Asian Elephant Foundation was set up primarily to help elephants that cannot help themselves, those that find themselves through abuse or through circumstance unable to provide and maintain an income for themselves, their mahouts and their families.

In an ideal world all elephants would be wild and there would be no need to discuss elephants' work, until we reach that point the Golden Triangle Asian Elephant Foundation also aims to give and promote ethical work for those elephants and mahouts who are able.

We perform street rescues for elephants and, where possible, mahouts and families; we cooperate with the Government and other organisations in 'bigger picture' projects; we endeavour to ensure that nett good is done and that our actions in helping one elephant do not adversely effect others we may not be concentrating on.

Projects that have run their course

Pang Yom's Retirement

Pang Yom has returned to the Thai Elephant Conservation Centre in Lampsng for a full retirement close to the Elephant Hospital operated by the TECC there. The Golden Triangle Asian Elephant Foundation was proud to support our favourite older lady from her retirement until March 2007 when the TECC decided she should return home. The money that had previously been assigned to Pang Yom will be now used to sponsor a vet (who will work three weeks a month at the hospital in Lampang) as part of our Newly Qualified Vet Elephant Experience Programme.

Quite possibly Thailand's best loved elephant, one of her daughters is now a favourite in Lampang and has Royal connections, Yom herself has friends from all over - as well as many new ones gained whilst at Anantara.

Yom was with the Anantara Camp since the beginning and has reached the age where she should permanently retire - she will stayed with us in camp until the Thai Elephant Conservation Centre decide she should be close to the Hospital, as we have plenty of good natural fodder as well the wherewithal to keep her in the luxuries of life.

The Government vet has checked her out and decided that a little light work from time to time would be good for her so we will probably allow her to continue her role as trainer of children and nervous adults.

As the camp Grandmother (she has retired once already but apparently got bored in the forests of Lampang so they sent her back to us) she keeps herself removed from the other elephants and keeps a stern eye on the Foundation babies.

The Mae Nam Yom is a beautiful, forested river and it must have been on her banks that Yom was born all those years ago, an old 'arrow' logging brand on her rear points skyward and to the fact that she has lead a life of graft before her good character bought her into the Government breeding scheme and thence, as the years wore on, to their mahout training scheme.

She seems to be madly in love with her long time mahout, K. Jamrat, but will teach the rookie mahout with patience and a little back chat as long as he is around! K. Nai also helps out and almost gets the same devotion, time will prove.

Mor Pongpon Homkong D.V.M.

Our first 'adopted' vet, Dr Pongpon (or Mor Pap as he is usually known) has left us after his year's training to work with the Royal White Elephant Stables in Lampang as well as help out at the Elephant Hospital in Lampang - in the same manner he did when he was working for us.

He spent a good year with us, useful for our elephants as they and the mahouts recieved the benefits of his training and advice but, we hope, equally useful for the Thai Elephant Conservation Centre elephants and those treated he free of charge at the hospital.

He represented the Foundation at several conferences and symposia as well as taking and manning the mobile clinic to this year's Elefantasia Elephant Festival in Laos giving free care - assisting the Elefantasia vets - to the 20 elephants there and controlling a case of aggresive musth.

Towards the end of his tenure with us, and frequently today, his time with us and the tutelage of the TECC vets allow him to be the controlling vet on site at the TECC hospital.

Pang E-Wong

E-Wong's a bit of a mystery, she was recently bought by her mahout and so is the one elephant where he cannot tell us anything except the dubious information always provided by an ele-seller; one careful owner, only used on Sunday mornings to go to church - that sort of thing! She is microchipped so we do know she's a legitimate domestic Thai elephant.

Things we do know:

Her name doesn't mean beautiful in Karen - this was claimed at purchase but is strenuously denied by our Galieng contingent.

She has a very rough and almost disfigured trunk resulting, we surmise, from a hard life in the logging camps.

She has one white eye, possibly caused by malnutrition at an earlier stage, through which she cannot see properly.

Her feet have been poorly cared for and are splayed, perhaps another sign of a hard logging life.

Her official age is in the mid thirties, but she tops this page as we think she's probably closer to ten years older than that. However we believe that age is how you feel and not what it says on your birth certificate, now that she's settled in with us she's a relaxed and happy elephant who doesn't bother with tricks or the show stuff, just happy to be out of a tougher life.

Pang Boo See

Boo See's a Galieng elephant from the forests of Chiang Mai and around the Burmese border, again no-one seems to know what her name means but we figure it may be a mis-pronounciation of a Thai name, Boun See - which would convey perfection.

One thing we do know is she chose it herself; in an ancient naming ceremony Galieng elephants of this age (mid-thirties) were presented with six names, written on paper by an elder and wrapped around sugar cane. The paper she picks first is the name that sticks.

Boo See comes to us from a mixed forest life, a few spells illegally in Burma logging, some trekking in tourist camps around Chiang Mai and, in the un-employed times, just living in the village doing odd jobs, collecting firewood and the like - she has given birth three times but none of her calves have reached maturity.

She's a steady character and is unafraid of most things, she prefers humans who are not nervous of her and will do anything for someone who respects her without fear, her greatest joy when bathing is just to sit with her head under the water.

K. Ke bosses our Galieng mahout crew and has left his beloved Boun Na to drive Boo See.

Plai Phu Ki (Tong Kam)

Phu Ki is our only working male elephant; a slender, tough tusker with a past he doesn't take part in mahout training but will give treks, VIP pick-ups, take guests up to the hilltop for sunset and, increasingly, represent us in local parades and temple ceremonies where the presence of an elephant used to be necessary - a tradition recently dropped due to lack of available elephants.

Although handsome he found himself out of work after a Burmese logging accident injured his front legs and left him with a perceptible limp.

He grew up on the Thai side of the border around Chiang Mai but crossed regularly, during times of low work or crack down on his illegal job he was let free into the forest but always re-caught - after the injury his owners decided he may not be able to fend for himself in the rapidly dissappearing Burmese jungle and so sought easy employment for him.

Phu Ki is just his nickname, his real name being Tong Kam, and he's in his early thirties, he has fathered at least seven babies in this time - a function of the twinkle in his eye and the commitment, or lack thereof, a male elephant shows to his offspring!

He is cared for by K. Chaa.

Pang Beau

Beau is a Surin elephant from the communities North East of Bangkok and is our only elephant with a French name, despite the masculinity of which she is feminine.

In her early days she walked around Thailand, didn't spend too much time in Bangkok but has allegedly covered all towns from the deep South to the Golden Triangle, all on foot - as a result she must have a unique insight into Thai life, walking slowly, as the older elephants who can't hold down a Bangkok begging beat do, camping in temples and cremation halls, grabbing food from grass verges and offerings from villagers.

She, nonethless, kept part of the grapevine and was frequently picked up for parade work thanks to her calm nature before ending up walking the highways and byways again.

She was reluctant to come in from the streets this time having been previously rescued once but finding the whisky culture in that centre not to her taste - her mahout, Berm, preferring the family atmosphere of our camp.

Pang Boun Na

Pang Boun Na was our first real Karen elephant, the majority of historical logging work in Burma and the North of Thailand - at least in the British written histories - was performed by elephants and mahouts from the Karen tribes. So we introduce another language into camp!

Boun Na, is in her late-twenties and has had four calves in her time, two of which died due to the neglect of a previous mahout and two have survived and are working in tourist camps in Chiang Mai.

Although a breeding and tourist camp elephant for a long while she has also spent some time as an illegal immigrant worker, logging in the Burmese forests, before she was rented by a Japanese family in Chiang Mai to produce and raise one calf - the calf is still with them.

Perhaps unsurprisingly given her past career as a working elephant and a mother she is the most serious of the elephants, keeping herself to herself and not playing the tricks that the others get up to - luxuriating in unlimited tall grass and enjoying the long baths but not spraying all in sight.

Not a great fan of our buffalo or new experiences without friends, Boun Na is happiest surrounded by a group of like thinking elephants - luckily this is exactly where she finds herself. Unashamedly the fattest of our eles we do have to keep reminding ourselves that she's not pregnant, her behaviour around the babies, though, reveals she might be broody.

Boun Na is cared for by Khun Chai.

Pang Tong Kwao

Tong Kwao is in her early twenties but displays a maturity that belies this, although for sure, she still has the beauty of youth.

Another Surin ele, she has lead a mixed life; a Bangkok street walker, she spent time in a camp in Koh Chang but had to return to the streets after three months of not being paid or fed.

Her movie credits include bit parts in the elephant rescue classic Tom Yum Goong and the Thai historical epic The Legend of Suriyothai, but her movie career was cut short by her lack of tolerance for pyrotechnics.

Here, among her many charms we include her inability to spray forwards - instead she soaks her own guest - and the fact that she likes to kiss me whenever we meet!

Pang Jenny

For every camp there must be a superstar, a bit of a diva, a bit of a play girl, for ours we have Jenny - much tagged on Facebook and known to the international press as the Formula 1 elephant for her speed across the pitch.

Jenny's still in her teens, we first met her as a street elephant in 2005 - before the Golden Triangle Asian Elephant Foundation was fully operational - when she came to Chiang Saen as a street walker, we went and said hello to her mahout (who went on to become our own K. Sompong, Nong Pleum's mahout) and had to let her go.

Come December 2007 we needed a new ele to help us with the mahout training and we learned she was unhappy in a trekking camp in Hua Hin, no food, fodder, guests and too much whisky and made the call.

Amongst our guests she's known for her playful behaviour and for being a bit of a handful when it comes to bathing time - I think it is fair to say that all of our guests get wet, Jenny's just seem to get wetter!

Jenny is cared for by K. Jaa

Anantara and the Thai Elephant Conservation Centre

Mutual Support

From the very beginning Anantara Resort Golden Triangle has worked closely with the Thai Elephant Conservation Centre (TECC) to ensure that the activities in camp were safe and that our treatment of the elephants exceeded the national (now international) standards of ideal care.

To do this we set up the programme using four elephants from the TECC's professional mahout training school in Lampang we agreed to cover all costs of the elephants and their mahouts as well as a few extra bonuses for the mahouts (and lots & lots of food for the eles).

We would also give the mahouts exposure to international guests, giving them experience to take back to Lampang and expand their growing guest experience programme.

Over the years we have also proven that with imaginative activities, some hard work in advertising and public relations, it is possible for four elephants to provide a very good life for themselves and for their mahouts without resorting to dangerous or demeaning work and without leaving what would be their natural habitat.

The Golden Triangle Asian Elephant Foundation did not contribute to the up-keep of these elephants as they were able to work and this enables them to provide their own living, any shortfall in either their upkeep or the monthly fee to the TECC was covered by Anantara Resort Golden Triangle.

Our debt to these elephants is that they started the camp. The Foundation could not exist without the work they have put in with us from the beginning.

The T.E.C.C. elephants went back to Lampang with our best wishes for the future in March '07

Pang Bua Tong, Pang Boon Rod, Pang Yui, Pang Makam, Pang Yom, Pang Janpen, Pang Wandi, Pang Lawan Pang Tantawan, Pang Wang Jao, Pang Jaan Deang, Pang Tongkhoon, Si Daw Somboon and Plai Tong

Special thanks to the above elephants and their mahouts who all helped us for a time, getting us started or covering for the other elephants whilst they spent time in Lampang. They are all in Lampang now working to their talents Tantawan is a fantastic midwife and Aunty elephant during their humane calf training activities, in the breeding programme like Jaan Deang, helping with the taxi rides like Wang Jao or retired to the forests.

Pang Makam gave birth to Nong Nam Khong on the 14th September 2005 and are now looked after by the Craig and Shelly Schmeizer through the Golden Triangle Asian Elephant Foundation.

Four Seasons Tented Camp Golden Triangle

The management at Four Seasons Tented Camp Golden Triangle have agreed to join our baby rescue scheme with a guest donation and sponsorship programme of their own.

Weather and fitness permitting, don't be surprised to be visited by the young entourage at any time during your stay whilst they are out for their daily exercise.

Elephants that can help themselves, given another chance.

All these were bought by a 100% donation by Minor International and will perform easy and suitable work - under the supervision of Golden Triangle Asian Elephant Foundation - these elephants all support themselves (& their new mahouts) at the Four Seasons Tented Camp in the Golden Triangle. They all live in the 160 acres of forest next to the Golden Triangle itself and have an idyllic life with professional care and endless supplies of bananas and sugar cane. Minor International companies pay all fodder, veterinary and incidental bills for these elephants as well as the wages and benefits for their mahouts.

Pang Puang Phet

A beautiful 30-something, Pang Puang Phet, literally walked into our lives when her owners bought her to the local village. She was living in the back of a 6 wheeled truck and making a living by walking the streets of any local town in the North and selling small amounts of sugar cane to be fed back to her.

Her owners loved her and cried when they left her with us. Walking the streets is not a good living for an elephant - she ate for three days straight when she first came, unable to believe in a never ending supply of sugarcane - but they are expensive to keep and her owners couldn't think of any other way to keep her in food and them in money .

She is now fat and happy and is one of our camp stars, used especially for photo-shoots but also for mahout training.

Pang Kam Mool

When all the other Surin elephants made their seasonal trip to earn a living in the tourist camps and on the streets of the big cities her owners kept Pang Kam Mool behind. Although they told us she was 'almost forty' they knew her true age and were reluctant to send her out to do hard and stressful work - we think she is closer to sixty than forty.

She is settling in well in the camp (though it took her two days to discover sugar cane and bananas as food - preferring the bamboo and mimosa she had been surviving on) and is ideally suited to our relaxed regime. A slow moving but obedient training elephant and maybe one slow trek through the forest every day.

Though we initially had to learn the Khmer commands used in Surin she is quickly picking up the Northern Thai elephant language.

Plai Boun Liang

Plai Boun Liang has spent all of his 40 years in the logging industry but, it seems, during the last few years he came into possession of an unscrupulous owner who not only worked him too hard but forcibly removed his tusks at the root - leaving him with big infections which must be cleaned every day.

Through it all he has retained a gentle nature and responds well to human interaction.

Within a month of being with us, in a camp of endless high energy food and female elephant contact (probably for the first time ever) he went into musth. But he's out now and ready to restart his romance with Lawann, one of our elephants from the Thai Elephant Conservation Centre.

Pang Yuki

Before finding a settled home with us it seems the Pang Yuki had travelled more than your average human of her years; perhaps seen more life too.

Born in Surin province she was shipped to Japan immediately on separation from her mother, so fast it seems that she wasn’t named until arrival - Yuki is Japanese for snow. Snow took its toll on the young elephant and she was returned to Thailand within a very few months as she reacted very badly to the cold.

For the next three years she worked as a bar girl in Pattaya’s tourist strip, performing nightly in their cabaret until she got too big and had to find other employment ? the fate of many a bar girl we hear.

Pang Bounma

Bounma’s name, meaning to bring merit, has finally paid off ? though it has taken rather a long time. She is the only elephant we know of that has been taken begging onto the streets in order to rescue her.

We don’t know much about her early years but we pick up her story in her early twenties when she was owned by a logging company and working in the forests of the North. The problem was, it seems, that she never took to logging and in return she was savagely treated ? she still bears the scars of a beaten head, pink skin around the neck and a badly broken ear.

She was spotted by an itinerant Surin mahout who decided to buy her and take her onto the road in order to save her. Life after the savage treatment has been walking the streets of Thai cities, tourist spots and beaches.

She was in Pattaya when we found her and bought her to the stable life of our camp where she has fitted in fine and, though keeping herself to herself, is a great trainer.

Pang Tongkam

We don’t know anything about this elephant! Her name means Golden, we’re told she was born in Phrae province where she was probably a logger.

I met her under a full moon in Surin and fell in love with whatever it is you see in an elephant’s face ? to top it she let me drive her with absolutely no introduction (which may not indicate good breeding but is useful in our industry).

She had been working the streets but had been bought back to Surin for sale and we’re lucky to have her!