Very Professional Program

My son and I were involved in this project for a week .Although this was a relatively short time, we learnt a lot about the daily care of the elephants and were able to build up a good relationship with several of the elephants, especially Rhooba. Although the Mahouts speak very little English, Govind, our Co ordinator, was with us daily to answer our questions and ensure we were still able to interact with the Mahouts and learn a great deal about the life of a working elephant.We were able to feed and bath the elephants daily and make elephant chapatis! The work does begin early, at 5 am but this does mean, the late mornings and afternoons are free to explore. Sukret, Govind and our driver were excellent helping us and providing advice when needed. The program is very professionally run and is to be commended.
People seeking to take part in the project should be aware that these are working elephants and although they are well cared for and have good relationships with their Mahouts, they are chained up for much of the time which does give rise to some welfare concerns. All the elephants were very friendly and showed no sign of depression. They were not over worked and did have regular veterinary care. In February, there are Elephant Games, when the elephants will play games such as football etc.They are trained for a period before this. This would be an excellent time to volunteer!