Ethical Elephant
Facilities in Asia
Finding ethical facilities has become increasingly challenging due to the popular buzzwords utilized in marketing. Get it right every time with this tourist guide focusing on elephant welfare first and foremost.
Guidelines for ethical Facilities:
Last Updated 1/22/24
Note: Facilities denoted with an asterisk (*) mean the facility could improve on reducing unnecessary human contact with their elephants (not including mahout-elephant contact). Some of these facilities offer scheduled feedings or posed photos— increasing the time tourists interact with the elephants. These activities can heighten stress levels and anticipation due to close human contact, exacerbating repetitive stress behaviors like swaying and head bobbing.
To allow scheduled feedings and posed photos, the facility must force the elephant to stay in one spot to satisfy tourists’ desire for pictures and touch. This level of control takes away an elephant’s autonomy, and shifts focus away from welfare and onto providing an experience solely for entertainment.
These facilities still treat their elephants well and are not considered unethical facilities; however, these are secondary recommendations based on unnecessarily close contact with elephants either from staff or tourists.
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Boon Lott’s Elephant Sanctuary (Sukhothai)
Kindred Spirit Elephant Sanctuary (Mae Chaem District, Chiang Mai)
Isara Elephant Foundation (Karen Hill Tribe, Chiang Mai)
Mahouts Elephant Foundation (Karen Hill Tribe, Chiang Mai)
Somboon Legacy Foundation (Kanchanaburi)
Chang Chill (Mae Wang District, Chiang Mai)
Following Giants (Ko Lanta District, Krabi)
Burm and Emily’s Elephant Sanctuary (Mae Chaem District, Chiang Mai)
Elephant Nature Park* (Mae Taeng District, Chiang Mai)
Phuket Elephant Sanctuary* (Phuket)
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Elephant Valley Project Cambodia (Krong Saen Monourom)
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Elephant Conservation Center (Sayaboury)
Mekong Elephant Park (Pakbeng)
MandaLao Elephant Sanctuary* (Luang Prabang)
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Animals Asia Yok Don Elephant Project (Yok Don National Park)
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Tiger Tops (Chitwan)
Sapana Village* (Sauraha)
Stand Up 4 Elephants (Sauraha)
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Wildlife SOS (Churmura, Uttar Pradesh)
Any Asian countries not featured on this list means that none of their captive elephant facilities met the standard of welfare required to be considered ethical at this time.
Keep in mind this is a frequently updated list; therefore, as facilities change their management styles, they may be added or removed from the list. If you want to request a facility be either added or removed from the list, please reach out with the facility name.
Tell us your experience!
After visiting any captive elephant facility, be sure to leave reviews on sites like Trip Advisor and Expedia to help other travelers make elephant-conscious choices! Whether good or bad, your experience helps inform the tourism industry and can be valuable in creating change.