Tour an Ethical Elephant Sanctuary in Chiang Mai

These days, there are elephant parks and sanctuaries springing up all over Thailand, as eco-tourism is quickly becoming the next big thing. Chiang Mai is a popular destination for visitors to Thailand. But if you want to conduct your visit to this northern city in Thailand on an eco-friendly basis, it’s important that you visit an ethical elephant sanctuary in Chiang Mai as well. And ‘ethical’ is the key word that should be the deciding factor in which sanctuary you visit. 

You can look at your visit to the elephants as a charitable cause that should be encouraged for all visitors. Although a visit to an elephant sanctuary is fun and exciting, you should keep in mind that having fun is not the primary reason to visit a sanctuary.

These elephant sanctuaries and parks could not exist without the support of the public and donations to their worthy cause. But, as in all charitable causes, the person donating to the charity has a responsibility to perform their due diligence before they support the cause.

Choose to Support Only Ethical Treatment

Unfortunately, some organizations started as zoos and animal entertainment attractions, and their owners and administrators soon saw the benefit of rebranding their enterprises as animal sanctuaries as the growth in eco-tourism took off.

These organizations were always for-profit enterprises, and the rebranding hasn’t changed their profitable mindset and attitude.

If an elephant park or sanctuary is still in the habit of making the elephants perform tricks for its visitors, it’s a clue that they don’t have the elephant’s welfare at heart. At an ethical elephant sanctuary in Chiang Mai, you’ll never see elephants doing anything that they wouldn’t do in their natural habitat.

It’s up to the visitors and tourists to be cautious as to which organization they support. Simply paying a fee to any elephant park that advertises itself as ethical is unfair to the sanctuaries that legitimately work for the health and conservation of the elephants of Thailand. It’s taking money and donations from a worthy cause.

Check Out the Elephant Sanctuary Before You Visit

An ethical elephant sanctuary in Chiang Mai will be proud to tell you the worldwide conservation organizations that support their efforts. They will also be glad to have you help them in their efforts by volunteering your time.

A rebranded, but still, for-profit elephant sanctuary will not be so open about having you see what goes on behind the scenes. They generally don’t encourage volunteers, and when they do, they’re not transparent about all aspects of their operations.

By doing some basic research before you visit these organizations, you’ll have a much better idea of which of these parks deserve your support as ethical elephant sanctuaries in Chiang Mai.

You’ll be helping the elephants in Thailand today, and contributing to their continued conservation and well-being far into the future by doing your duty as a responsible visitor.