On our final full day in Chiang Mai, we headed to the Elephant Rescue Centre as Caellum posted about previously.

The lady that started the rescue centre in 1995, has been called the elephant whisperer. She started the facility with 4 elephants and now has more than 30.

The elephants have been through various forms of abuse, from being riding elephants for tourists, street begging elephants in the streets of places like Chiang Mai, logging elephants from Myanmar, and other types of entertainment animals.

Some of the elephants at the rescue centre are quite aggressive and are kept in segregation, it costs a lot of money to build  large enclosures for these elephants. Tour dollars and donations are the major sources of funding.

A simple rule of thumb for animals such as elephants that are doing something other than being wild and free, is that they have been abused in some way to make them “people friendly”. A Scottish tourist was killed a week ago by a riding elephant in Chiang Rai, Thailand, which is about 3 hours from Chiang Mai. The animal “snapped”, gored and stomped the 36 year old  man in front of his daughter after the elephant unseated both of them.

Not to sound preachy, but the next time you want to ride a non domesticated animal, swim with an animal or watch an animal jump through fire, consider what that animal has been through to provide that service for you. Also remember the power of marketing, and that it rarely tells the whole truth.

Caellum had a great time feeding and patting the elephants. He again, has been enlightened about what human beings are capable of at their worst, and in the case of the elephant whisperer, what they’re capable of at their best.

The only downfall is I ate something I shouldn’t have and spent the evening not feeling well. Thankfully I was well enough to get up at 6:30 in the AM to watch the Broncos completely dominate the Panthers in Super Bowl 50, that was one leaky offensive line.

We’re now in Luang Prabang, Laos, one of my favourite places.