I was able to spend a week volunteering at the Elephant Conservation Center, a great organization dedicated to saving Laos' Asian elephants and stabilizing its population. I learned so much about the elephants in Laos, once called "The land of a million elephants." Sadly, there are only about 400 wild elephants left in Laos. They face many challenges, including loss of forest habitats, logging demands and poaching. Tere were only 4 births in the domesticated population in all of Laos last year and two of the births were at the center! They also work with local mahouts and owners, offering free vetrinary care and help in breeding their elephants.
I got to learn how to be a mahout, giving the elephants verbal instructions as well as by touch while perched on top. We also fed and bathed them and walked them through the jungle. The center has a pretty large staff of locals so a lot of time was spent hanging with the elephants and others. Me and a couple other volunteers also rebuilt the bitang court.
There was no internet access or wifi and electricity ran on solar power, so we usually lost power around 8 pm and it would be restored about 10 am. We used a lot of candles! The evenings are cool, dropping to upper 60s or 70 at night so there was no need for air con (and there wasn't any anyways! Not even a fan).
I had a wonderful time getting to know the locals and the mahouts and learning more about Lao culture. The food is so yummy, but eaten without silverwear- just grab a handful of rice out of the communal bowl and dip it in the shared bowl of soup or veggies.
A total of 9 elephants live at the center which includes 160 hectares of surronding jungle. Two females and their babies resided in the jungle. Only the mahout for the momma elephant was allowed near them as the mothers are fiercly protective of their babies and will injure anyone who tries to get near. But we got to observe them from afar and I have to say, baby elephants are so stinking cute! One was 14 months and the other was 16 months. They wean at the age of three and can then begin mahout training (Most domesticated elephants in Laos are used for logging). One of the mahouts of a baby elephant was so proud of him and kept beaming and talking about him excitedly (Xang Noy means baby elephant- they aren't named until the age of 3 when the elephant picks out his name during a ceremony). I couldn't understand what he was saying, but he was one proud papa!
Besides the 2 mommas and their babies, 1 male and 4 females live at the center- Thom Khoun (the male and only one with visible tusks), Mae Dok (the matriarch at age 60), Mae Khoum On (the largest one), Mae Khoum Ai (she was sick and seeing the vet), and Mae Bum Nong (a sweet girl with a woodn bell around her neck).
I will miss the elephants and beautiful surrondings of jungle and lake!
