“After Eight Decades in Captivity, Two Elephants in Thailand Finally Experience Freedom”
Boonme and Buabaan, previously forced to work in logging and elephant-trekking industries for their entire lives, have been liberated thanks to a successful fundraising campaign. They are now thriving at the Elephant Nature Park in Chiang Mai, Thailand.
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Boonme and Buabaan endured tough conditions for years, working in the challenging logging industry and elephant-trekking business in Thailand. Their work involved repetitive labor and being confined in exhausting surroundings. However, thanks to Canadian YouTuber and filmmaker Christian Leblanc’s successful fundraising campaign, they were rescued from their plight.
Now, these elderly elephants, 80-year-old Boonme and 50-year-old Buabaan, reside in Thailand’s Elephant Nature Park in Chiang Mai. Here, they enjoy a significantly improved life, indulging in river and mud baths and feasting on fresh fruits and vegetables. Their current state is a stark difference from the abusive conditions they endured before.
Christian shared, “The elephants are thriving and living their best lives now. They’ve developed a strong bond with a new friend named BaiCha, and they are inseparable. In their previous situation, they were forced to carry numerous people on their backs every day.”
Following a fruitful fundraising campaign, they were liberated from their captors and welcomed back into the sanctuary of Thailand’s Elephant Nature Park in Chiang Mai.
With the assistance of Canadian YouTube vlogger and filmmaker Christian Leblanc, the rescue mission was carried out successfully. Christian played a key role in raising significant funds for the release of the elephants. “There was a crucial moment when Boonme collapsed and required lifting by a crane to continue. It was evident that immediate action was necessary.”
Embarking on a challenging 15-hour truck journey to Surin, Christian and his team were determined to reach the elephants. After a swift 23-hour trip in specially equipped trucks, the elephants were safely transported back to the Elephant Nature Park.
This remarkable rescue will be prominently featured in Christian’s upcoming documentary, ‘Black Tusk’, which seeks to shed light on the atrocities of the ‘elephant trekking’ industry in Thailand.
Christian and his team pushed through a challenging 15-hour truck ride to Surin in their quest to meet the dá´œo.
The elephants were purchased for significant amounts of money before being brought to the Elephant Nature Park in custom trucks.
Christian noted, “Just like humans, elephants are highly social creatures and suffer greatly in the harsh conditions of trekking camps and entertainment venues.”
“You can observe them swaying and sometimes hear their cries of sadness and despair.”
“Although it is heartbreaking to see them suffer, I am grateful for the experience as it brought me here.”
“Our objective is to shed light on the cruelty elephants endure, with the aim of putting an end to their suffering and encouraging ethical elephant tourism.”