WORLD ELEPHANT DAY

WORLD ELEPHANT DAY 

On August 12, 2012, the inaugural World Elephant Day was launched to bring attention to the urgent plight of Asian and African elephants. ... We admire elephants in part because they demonstrate what we consider the finest human traits: empathy, self-awareness, and social intelligence.

 Elephants are the largest existing land animals. Three living species are  recognised: the African bush elephant, the African forest elephant, and the Asian elephant. 

 Some interesting facts about elephants

🐘 are the world's largest land animal. 

You can tell them apart by the size of their ears. 

Their trunks have multi useful skills. 

🐘 tusks are their teeth and they have an extremely thick skin 

🐘 communicate through vibrations and are always eating

🐘 live in herds and, they recognize every member of their family. 

🐘🐘 are, extremely intelligent animals, and have proved their skills time and again. 

 Was glad to visit Phuket Elephant sanctuary which has rescued elephants 🐘🐘 

Phuket's First Ethical Sanctuary in which Elephants Roam & Bathe Freely

Bordering the Khao Phra Thaeo National Park, the Phuket Elephant Sanctuary offers a new home for overtired elephants who have suffered from working long hours in the logging and tourism industry. As the first ethical elephant tourism experience in Phuket, they rescue sick, injured and old elephants, take good care of them and welcome them back in their habitat. 

https://www.phuketelephantsanctuary.org/en/

Safety measures at Phuket Elephant Sanctuary

 Although “physical distancing” comes natural at our 30-acre sanctuary, they have implemented several initiatives to ensure a safe and inspiring experience whilst visiting the Sanctuary. They have been SHA+ certified by the Tourism Authority of Thailand, with 100% of their staff being fully vaccinated. To learn more about the health & safety initiatives and flexible cancellation policy, feel free to visit the website.

As a visitor you can feed them fruits,  pineapples and bananas what they love and observe them bathe freely in the fresh water lagoon. However interaction is allowed only while feeding them fruit. It feels good to watch them enjoy their freedom and happy to be free. I enjoyed my experience here and was thrilled to interact with the extremely playful and active baby elephant. 

Some commonly asked Q and A about elephants 🐘🐘

How much does it cost to ride an elephant in Thailand?

Throughout Thailand, elephant rides may cost  approximately 600 THB for a 20-minute “trek” to 6,000 THB for an entire day. Tips and feeding the elephant are excluded.

Do elephants like to be touched. 

Fear, domination, and pain cause the elephants to follow the trainers' commands to let people ride, feed, touch, or bathe them. It isn't safe for humans to make direct contact with elephants. Always remember getting too close can be dangerous.

How can you tell that an elephant us happy? 

A socially excited elephant rapidly flaps its ears and widens its eyes.just like a dog, when an elephant's tail is swishing from side to side it is happy. As soon as the tail goes stiff, normally held out to one side, it means that the elephant is anxious and worked up. 

Have you interacted with elephants? How was your experience? Let me know in the comments. 

#elephantday  #savetheelephants #worldelephantday #wildlifephotography #wildlife