Elephant Nature Park

Elephant Nature Park is a sanctuary and rescue centre for elephants in Mae Taeng District, Chiang Mai province, northern Thailand, approximately 60 kilometres (37 mi) from Chiang Mai city, co-founded by Sangduen "Lek" Chailert.

The parks provide sanctuary for rescued elephants and operate under a business model in which tourists pay to visit and help care for the animals, and they can stay for extended periods.

[6] By 1998, an organization called Green Tours, run by Adam Flinn, had founded Elephant Nature Park, a tourist site and reserve for rescued elephants in a valley about an hour north of Chiang Mai city,[6] together with Chailert, who owned some of the land and leased the rest from the Thai government.

[4] Chailert maintained a more isolated section on one of the surrounding mountains for especially damaged animals that she called "Elephant Heaven".

[9] Chailert was listed in a special 2005 post-tsunami issue of the Asian edition of Time magazine as one of "Asia's heroes".

[7] By this time, the park no longer offered performances and had shifted to a business model in which visitors could come help care for the elephants.

[15] Chailert has also been successful in convincing several independent camps to improve the lives of elephants and forbid tourists from riding them, through her Saddle Off!

Navaan, born at the park in October 2012, with founder Lek Chailert.
Female elephant (Dok Ngern, 15 years, with newly born Dok Mai) (23 days).