Lessons for elephant care

The devastating flash floods in Chiang Mai have exposed not only the region’s growing vulnerability to climate change but also long-standing tensions between two approaches to raising domesticated elephants.
At the centre of the controversy is Saengduean Chailert, the founder of the famous Elephant Nature Park, a sanctuary for sick, old and abused elephants. Her sanctuary allows the elephants to roam freely in natural surroundings without chains or sharp tools for control.
This humane approach has won praise from Western tourists and animal rights advocates who view the traditional elephant-raising method as cruel and abusive. However, her harsh criticism of traditional methods as barbaric has sowed discontent among other elephant centres and some nationalists who view her as undermining Thai cultural wisdom.
Her sanctuary, which cares for about 100 elephants, faced difficulties evacuating its animals during the floods. As elephants in other camps have their own individual mahouts assigned to live with and take care of them, her camp only has collective handlers. It has to be said that the elephants at her camp were eventually rescued by traditional mahouts from other camps. Tragically, however, two of her elephants drowned. Videos of their struggle drew widespread public sympathy.
However, as often happens on social media, the tone quickly shifted. Many criticised her for not heeding flood warnings earlier, which made the evacuation more dangerous. Kanchana Silpa-archa, a veteran politician who once advocated for the Elephant Nature Park, publicly criticised Ms Saengduean for continuing fundraising activities early this month while other camps had evacuated their jumbos in early September.
Ms Saengduean later thanked those traditional mahouts who helped with the rescue, but her threats of defamation lawsuits against netizens fuelled the backlash against her. This is unfortunate since both approaches have their pros and cons.
While the state offers little support for sick and old elephants, her work has filled an essential gap. Her efforts have also pressured other centres to improve conditions for their elephants. This is a major contribution.
However, her focus on a humane approach overlooks the importance of traditional training and, above all, animal behaviour. Historically, elephants were domesticated for transportation and labour. Although they are intelligent and often gentle, they are large and potentially dangerous, especially during musth.
The expertise of mahouts, passed down through generations, is invaluable. Mahouts and their elephants form bonds based on trust and love. As climate change leads to more frequent natural disasters, effective evacuation plans for elephant sanctuaries and businesses are crucial. The recent sight of elephants delivering supplies to flooded communities in Chiang Mai underscores the value of elephant training during challenging times when modern technologies fail.
It is undeniable that abuse persists in some elephant centres, where both elephants and mahouts remain at the bottom of the tourism industry. But instead of fuelling the divide, the focus should shift to cooperation and pushing for better state policies to support both elephants and their caretakers. Without proper welfare for mahouts, their vital knowledge may disappear.
Ultimately, the issue is not just about tradition versus modernity; it is about working together to ensure better welfare and a sustainable future for elephants and the people who care for them.