Boon Lott's Elephant Sanctuary

We've left Sukhothai for three days at Boon Lott's Elephant Sanctuary (BLES). 

There are twelve elephants, nine cows and three bulls. All have been rescued from extraordinarily cruel conditions. Most have been beasts of burden in the logging industry with scars to prove it.

Meet and greet with Lotus and the "Gossip Girls"

Lotus trying to steal our lunch

Mom and Dad's teak bungalow 

Wassana outside of our bungalow 

One of the "tuskers"

Some photos from the elephant walks

Temperatures hovered near 100F each day here so the 2+ hour walks were harrowing. On the walks we passed coffee, bananas, teak groves, mangos, papayas, lemons, Jack fruit, tamarind, pomelo, rubber trees, lychees, corn and rice. We got to eat tamarind, mango and pomelo from the trees. We fed the elephants bananas and banana stalks. I have never been a big fan of papaya, but the fresh papaya and mangos are delicious right now in Thailand.

It hasn't rained on two months and the rice fields and teak grove undergrowth are being burned making for memorable sunsets and full moon. 

Water for elephants. We were not supposed to interact with the elephants without a Mahout, but Wassana brought me a hose so I hooked it up and gave her a drink. Wassana lost a toe nail to a land mine near Myanmar. She is a talker and is one of the three "Gossip Girls"

We all rode in the back of the pub crawler (my name for this 4x4 beast with a wooden body and no suspension) several miles to cut two loads of corn for the elephants one day. I believe that was the first time the kids said they would have preferred to be in school. Probably not a bad lesson.

BLES turns out to also be a sanctuary for rescued dogs and cats. I know 14 of the dogs by name, but there are a several more. The kids favorites are Wifi and Lady. Todd is pretty sure That when they said they had wifi, they meant the dog.

Wifi

Lady

Here is Molly, our awesome and accommodating guide, on an elephant walk with part of the pack of dogs (from upper left to lower right: Hugh (alpha), Peanut Butter, Honey, Marmite, Lady, Tone (the only dog I will not scratch, the kids call him Poo Dragon because of what he eats and rolls in) and Madam Zsa Zsa). We spent several hours a day talking with Molly and learned an immense amount about life in rural Thailand.

Molly also rescues moles!?

BLES was vegetarian only. I was pretty sure Colleen was going to jump from our taxi and eat the first chicken we saw.