World Elephant Day Today

World Elephant Day...... My experience with my wife and the beautiful Elephants in Thailand. Summer of 2015 and my wife Suzie, our daughter, China and I were so excited that our much dreamed about holiday – an 8-week trip to Thailand – was happening. Our adventures took us to Chiang Mai, visiting the most incredible and beautiful temples in this area. One day as we strolled around a river market, I realised that Suzie had strayed away from us. In the distance, I spotted what appeared to be a full-sized elephant. I knew instantly that Suzie, an avid animal-lover, would be in the same area. China and I headed over to join her. We spotted Suzie standing by the large creature and suddenly I felt my energy change. Streams of tears were pouring down Suzie’s face, utterly devastated by the sight that lay before her. Standing in a large metal cage, covered almost entirely in it’s own faeces, was a magnificent elephant. The animal’s eyes said it all. A vacant, broken expression as it continuously swayed it’s head from side to side, one of it’s legs pulled painfully tight to the bars of the cage by two heavy chains. The animal was suffering deeply from physical and emotional abuse. I felt desperate to release him and put an end to this disgraceful abuse and neglect, though if I tried it was likely I’d be led straight into a Thai prison. I held Suzie tightly, trying to comfort her through my own feelings of utter shame. My late father’s words spoke to me: “Mark, the most dangerous animal on earth is not the lion but Mankind." What I witnessed before me cemented those words in my heart forever. I promised Suzie we’d do everything possible to expose to the world this horrific abuse. We’d read about the Elephant Nature Park, a sanctuary in Chiang Mai run by “Lek”, a beautiful lady dedicated to the rescue of abused Elephants and other animals. We wanted to learn more and decided right away to volunteer at the sanctuary . On arrival our guide, Sunshine, welcomed us. His knowledge and commitment is immense. Sixty-one elephants currently in this utopia and Sunshine recognises each by name, their personal story of slavery and how they came to be rescued. Sunshine explained about the barbaric practice of Spirit Breaking. Picture in your mind a narrow wooden pen, no bigger than a few feet wide. When an Elephant cow gives birth, her baby is soon taken away from her. The baby is held captive inside the wooden pen, no room to move. For the following week the baby is tortured. It receives no food or water and is deliberately kept awake through constant beating with a foot long piece of wood, often with a large metal nail attached. Through weakness, constant beatings and being screamed at, the young elephant eventually gives up. The spirit is broken. What begins is a life of slavery, desperation and grief working the streets of Thailand – away from its family, nothing more than a ‘play object’ for Thailand’s tourist trade. The shameful reality is, to learn tricks such as painting pictures or to ‘pose’ for photographs, an Elephant is beaten repeatedly until it submits to carrying out these ridiculous performances. Once an elephant grows to a size no longer permitted on the streets, they’re sold to the trekking camps and receive further abusive training. An elephant could be sold for €50,000 euros or more, keeping trading attractive and alive. Sunshine guided us to the river of the park to meet the herd of rescued elephants. We could not hold back our happiness and laughter, watching the elephants playing joyfully together, family in every sense. The younger ones playing ‘tag’ with some of the cheeky rescue dogs that live at the sanctuary. More tears were shed as Sunshine pointed to an elephant struggling to walk. He’d had a foot blown off by a landmine, a wound that would never have been dressed or allowed to heal, the suffering of the animal irrelevant to its keeper. And the 67-year old female who refused to work after a depression overcame her when her baby was snatched away. She was beaten across the face repeatedly until left blind. Though now rescued, each elephant carries deep and painful scars that will haunt him or her forever. Lek and her devoted team, however, provide as much love to the herd that their hearts and souls can carry. Volunteering alongside the team for a few short days has been one of my most humbling and healing experiences yet. The Elephant Nature Park expenses run up to about €250,000 euros annually. It’s overwhelming to consider how Lek manages to keep the sanctuary going and hope alive for the animals yet to be saved from a life of abuse and torture. Right now it is home to 61 elephants, 400 rescue dogs, 200 cats and over 100 water buffaloes. I asked Sunshine what would help the enslaved elephants of Thailand? He answered simply, “Mark, tell the world to stop riding Elephants.” Suzie, China and I made a promise to do all we can to share the reality behind every Elephant trek in Thail