Luang Prabang……MandaLao > into the wild

December 3rd

We wake up quite excited, as today is when we are going on an excursion to meet up with some elephants at the Mandalao Elephant Sanctuary. We are told to wear clothes that we won’t mind getting wet and muddy and the outfitter provides optional footwear (rubber shoes/knee-high boots) for guests that are designed specifically for muddy and slippery conditions, bug spray and sunscreen……sounds like a lovely walk in the park.

09:15 >  Our ride is on time for the short drive to the village of Xieng Lom and the Mandalao base camp on the banks of the  Nam Khan River.

On arrival we are offered coffee or tea as we are provided an in-depth introduction to elephant behavior and the ways we should interact with them. Our group is only 6 so it promises to be a very personal experience.

Mandalao was formed several years ago with the mission to save elephants from logging  and riding camps where they were heavily worked and consequently misstreated. There are currently 9 elephants including a 15 month old baby on the 200 hectare site. They can roam the area freely to satisfy their 200 kilogram daily food intake, but Mandalao staff also feed them providing a  daily 80 kilo supplement of a nutritious mix of foodstuffs. Once known as the land of 1 million elephants, the U.S. bombing campaign during the Vietnam war as well as other factors (poaching,loss of habitat etc,) contributed significantly to a rapid decline in the population to its current level of approximately 800 animals, 400 in captivity and the balance in the wild. Mandalao wants to increase the herd to some 20 animals and then reintroduce some of them gradually into a wild and protected environment i.e national park.

We begin by  taking a quick boat ride across the Nam Khan River and then trek into the hills to find the big guys … the guides are armed with bags of bananas to get them into a positive frame of mind.

We pass through the outskirts of the village……

…….then start climbing the hillside through a teak forest

…….before coming into contact with several of the elephants.Our guide carefully instructs us on how to begin approaching and interacting with them as well as the best way to deliver our special treats……which they seem to relish and consume rather rapidly….

The mahouts (trainers/keepers) constantly talk to the elephants which seem to heed their instructions on the whole….this is all verbal with no physical prodding etc….in fact on occasion the elephants decide on a direction of their own tearing down branches and smaller trees as they pass….we have inserted a short video below:

Eventually the elephants work their way down to the river where they are encouraged to have a drink and one of them has a great old-time plunging into the water and then hosing herself off with exhalations of water from her trunk.

At this point we had to say goodbye to “our” elephants and return to the camp across the river……

……..where we enjoy a delicious meal and chat with the guide about the future of these elephants and Laos in general. A beautiful spot to relax for a while overlooking the river and misty mountains.

Then it was back to town…….a great experience hopefully efforts such as these will preserve these majestic animals for future generations…