Thai Elephant Conservation
Center in Lampang

If you have an interest in elephants, this is an experience not to be missed.  The Thai Elephant Conservation Centre in Lampang, Thailand offers just about every experience you could want relating to the countries most noble animal.  

The centre is home to the world’s first training school for mahouts and teaches about the care and handling of elephants to Thai and foreign elephant keepers.  The school offers a natural environment where instruction on basic health care, training young elephants, advising private owners on husbandry and management systems, and allows people to experience first hand the life of a mahout elephant handler.

The center offers a variety of courses, certified by the National Elephant Institute, which all students will receive upon successful completion of the course.  Courses on veterinary care, elephant medicine, and treatment are offered as well, training students to treat elephants worldwide which in tern contributes to global conservation efforts.

The centre is also partnered in a joint project with the Royal Household, the Third Division Army, The Royal Forest Department, Lamphun and Lampang Provinces, the Smithsonian Institution and the World Wildlife Fund on an elephant release project.  Here, elephants preparing for release to the wild are prepared with a radio collar, given a medical check-up, and then released to a designated area at Doi Pa Muang.  They then gradually adapt to the new lifestyle at the release area and learn how to live in the wild.  A monthly follow up is made to insure that the elephants are transitioning fine, while their movements and adaptation are studied from the radio collar to assist the next generation of elephants being released.

There are also elephant shows and rides which are offered daily, and a home stay program where residents live in the mahout village and observe his way of live in taking care of his elephants.  Visitors will stay in the same household as the mahout, and take part in all communal activities.  Activities include escorting the elephant out to the jungle in the early morning, and learning the basics on how to ride an elephant, and the basic commands used to communicate.  The program also has many English speaking staff who are available for any questions, or to exchange experiences about elephants or mahouts.  In the evening, the elephant is escorted once again back to the jungle for the night, while the guests join in on preparing local Thai dishes and listening to the local northern Thai music played by the mahouts.

The centre also offers other interests such as:  “A New World for Elephants Project”, The Elephant Hospital, The Elephant Sperm Bank Project, The Pang La Elephant Nursery Centre, The Mobile Veterinary Clinic, The Lampang Elephant Art Academy, The Thai Elephant Orchestra, The Elephant  Adoption Project, in addition to many eco-tourism activities offered.