Elephant conservation is a very complex process which does not have simple solutions. Unfortunately, there are some people with an agenda of their own who misrepresent the facts about elephant conservation in Thailand. As such they do not support the good work that is being done. I’d like to spell out exactly how much is being done to help these wonderful creatures.

The overall vision of the Thai Elephant Conservation Center (TECC) is to rescue elephants, rescue people and rescue the economy. There are four objectives that encompass this vision: –

  1. To make the National Elephant Institute the main entity responsible for cooperation in conserving Thai elephants.
  2. To establish standards for domestic elephant care, personnel, and camp operators, and promote quality tourism and products.
  3. To cooperate in creating work for communities dealing with elephants and building medium-size non-governmental businesses that encourage self-improvement.
  4. To propose income and other guidelines for communities that keep elephants, so that they earn enough money and have enough space to keep elephants and sustain their career in tourism and other legal jobs, rather than begging or illegal logging.

Elephant Awaiting Treatment at TECC Hospital

The objectives above are very far reaching and the projects and services provided include all of the following:

    • Elephant breeding center
    • Elephant hospital
    • Mobile veterinary clinic
    • Elephant nursery center
    • Elephant release project
    • Medicinal herb and elephant fodder project
    • A training school for elephants and mahouts
    • Training of elephant logging techniques
    • Controlling of musth elephants
    • An elephant adoption project
    • Information for research and exhibits about elephants
    • An education center for veterinary students
    • Elephant rides in a natural setting
    • Homestay program for tourists in the mahout village