Volunteer with Elephants in Thailand

Work in the mountain forests of northern Thailand and experience a semi-wild herd of elephants up close. These gentle giants, who left their lives in the tourism industry, now reside in Chiang Mai province. Here you will live and work alongside the Karen community, known for their unique (and sacred) relationship with their elephants.

Volunteers will be able to study the behavior of the elephants closely as they observe them alongside the mahouts (traditional elephant guides). You can learn a lot from them because they can draw on knowledge about elephants that has grown over several generations. You will participate in treks in Chiang Mai's forests and collect data on elephant behavior, such as the interaction between elephants and their mahouts. Health checks are also carried out on the elephants during the trek to look for physical signs of health problems.
You can also directly contribute to the elephants' well-being by helping to open up new employment alternatives for their owners, the mahouts and other local people. This is how you teach them English to reduce their financial dependence on the elephants.

highlights

• Learn about elephant history, behavior, training, biology, social interactions and more.

• You have the incredible opportunity to see the elephants in their natural habitat.

• Learn about elephants from the local Karen community who have worked with elephants for centuries.

• See the elephants in a natural setting and see how the mahouts, their herd and nature interact with each other.