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"Maesa
Elephant Camp" flanks a rushing
river in a beautiful lush tropical valley a mere twenty
minutes scenic drive from downtown Chiang Mai. Having
been open for nearly thirty years and currently home
to seventy eight elephants, we have become leaders and
experts in the field of elephant breeding, training,
healthcare and sustainable tourism. Asian elephants
have long been used as beasts of burden by man - transportation,
timber logging or in war. |
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In
the early days of elephant camps these were the main
abilities showcased, but it was the camp’s founder,
Choochart Kalmapijit’s
understanding of the deep intelligence of elephants
that inspired him to establish Maesa Elephant Camp in
1976. Over the years Choochart purchased elephants from
all over the country, and with their mahouts and other
experts, worked and fell in love with the elephants,
revealing one skill or fact after another about these
pachyderms that have not only |
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helped to develop Maesa’s reputations over the years,
but help further the cause of the conservation and future of
the Asian elephant.
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The
wellbeing and nourishment of our elephants are of prime
importance and the total of six tons
of grass, bananas and sugarcane that go to feed our
elephants daily are self grown. We also grow special
grasses and herbs which all combine to assure the health
and well being of all our elephants. Being the first
elephant camp certified by ISO 9001
version 2000, we are determined to
offer visitors a new-age elephant camp which gives our
visitors a real glimpse into the lives and facts about
elephants. |
What they eat, how they live, their biology, their future
or plight as well as the continued development and promotion
of their skills, intelligence and abilities are of utmost
importance to our long term goals.
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Of
great significance is Choochart’s founding of
the Association for the Thai Elephant Procreation
to encourage the breeding so that the future of the
Asian elephants is assured. At the turn of the twentieth
century there were over one hundred thousand elephants
in Thailand, today there are less than five. Through
research, years of trial and error and a determination
to succeed, Maesa now has a very successful breeding
programme. Only the best bulls and cows are selected
for the procreation programme which has lead to the
birth of |
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many
healthy baby elephants. One thing you can always be assured
of is that elephants at Maesa
Elephant Camp are, and always will be, mentally
and physically healthy. |
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