To me, Chiang Mai’s Elephant Nature Park is the equivalent of an Elephant Refugee camp—with a road map for a hopeful future. The park itself is located in the Mae Taeng Valley, about a ninety-minute drive from Chiang Mai. Established in 1995 by Sangduen “Lek” Chailert, the camp is a tribute to one individual’s quest to free an enslaved species from torture and inhumane conditions.
Lek truly is the “elephant whisperer.” She was awarded the Time Magazine Asia Hero of the Year in 2005 for her work...
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