Mammoth Mission by Rachael Fowler Mammoth Mission Sangduen Chailert, a young woman with jumbo-sized determination, campaigns to save Thailand's magnificent elephants from exploitation and extinction. Story by Rachel Flower for Pacific Wave. Elephants are not only Thailand's pride and joy but a national symbol, representing victory in battle, strength, stability and intelligence. Some of the elephants, however, are not so full of joy themselves. Although their numbers have decreased dramatically, extinction is a less immediate problem than exploitation.
Visitors are welcome at the park to learn about elephant ways.
We arrive at the camp in the morning and are immediately taken to see some of Chailert's friends. She's 49 and has a young baby. Mai has been bought from an owner who couldn't afford to keep her. A pregnant elephant cannot be worked for a long time after the baby, is born. Normally so few people would want to buy an elephant so old and the creature would perish.