Samui Elephant Sanctuary

Update time! Remember this video? We rescued Ma Mai last year. A 20-hour journey from Koh Chang to Koh Samui, which included two ferry crossings. She arrived safely at Samui Elephant Sanctuary, Chaweng Noi.

Ma Mai is settling in well and enjoys exploring the forest. She has come out of her shell in many ways, being playful and lively, and friendly towards the other elephants. She enjoys foraging for natural vegetation, and loves bananas, watermelons, and the bark and leaves of certain trees.

She was rescued from the island of Koh Chang, where she had been forced to give rides to tourists for over two years. We brought her here because she was at risk of being sold to yet another trekking camp—a future that would have meant carrying tourists on her back, day after day.

Follow her journey for regular updates 💚🐘

After 55 years of exploitation, Kham Paeng finds joy swimming in our sanctuary's pool. After decades of giving rides to tourists in Krabi and Phuket, the water is a long-awaited release for her back and joints.

With a single trunk-full of the earth, Kham Kaew helps regulate her body temperature, exfoliate, and protect her skin from the sun and parasites. All this from a simple dust bath 🤎