Comments on: From Elephant Tourism to Elephant Voluntourism http://matadorchange.com/from-elephant-tourism-to-elephant-voluntourism Sun, 05 Sep 2010 04:34:41 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Anna http://matadorchange.com/from-elephant-tourism-to-elephant-voluntourism/comment-page-1#comment-7635 Anna Wed, 26 May 2010 06:56:01 +0000 http://matadorchange.com/?p=172#comment-7635 Niamh..I am living in Thailand now..there are starting to be less elephants now seen in Bangkok which is good news..but the trade is obviously far from over. If anyone is interested you can call 1362 which is the National Park of Thailand and they "should" send someone out! I also volunteered at Elephant Nature Park. Such an amazing experience and would definately reccomend it to anyone!!! xxx Niamh..I am living in Thailand now..there are starting to be less elephants now seen in Bangkok which is good news..but the trade is obviously far from over. If anyone is interested you can call 1362 which is the National Park of Thailand and they “should” send someone out!

I also volunteered at Elephant Nature Park. Such an amazing experience and would definately reccomend it to anyone!!! xxx

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]]> By: The Last Mahout ~ Birth of an Asian Elephant http://matadorchange.com/from-elephant-tourism-to-elephant-voluntourism/comment-page-1#comment-7241 The Last Mahout ~ Birth of an Asian Elephant Tue, 20 Apr 2010 22:59:19 +0000 http://matadorchange.com/?p=172#comment-7241 [...] at the hands of poaching, deforestation and other decidedly human environmental insults. While the ethics of elephant tourism are dubious, you can be a part of a positive solution by volunteering some of your time at an elephant refuge. [...] [...] at the hands of poaching, deforestation and other decidedly human environmental insults. While the ethics of elephant tourism are dubious, you can be a part of a positive solution by volunteering some of your time at an elephant refuge. [...]

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]]> By: Wild Pouring Out: Western Oregon’s Wolf Sanctuaries http://matadorchange.com/from-elephant-tourism-to-elephant-voluntourism/comment-page-1#comment-6746 Wild Pouring Out: Western Oregon’s Wolf Sanctuaries Wed, 10 Mar 2010 16:10:30 +0000 http://matadorchange.com/?p=172#comment-6746 [...] more animal sanctuary perspectives read Marieke van der Velden’s transition from elephant tourism to elephant voluntourism and Stephanie Downs’s experience volunteering for animal rights in Greece. var ids = new [...] [...] more animal sanctuary perspectives read Marieke van der Velden’s transition from elephant tourism to elephant voluntourism and Stephanie Downs’s experience volunteering for animal rights in Greece. var ids = new [...]

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]]> By: Elephants http://matadorchange.com/from-elephant-tourism-to-elephant-voluntourism/comment-page-1#comment-6700 Elephants Fri, 05 Mar 2010 09:06:39 +0000 http://matadorchange.com/?p=172#comment-6700 Have any of you been to the Royal Elephant Kraal and Village in Ayutthaya, Thailand????? Have any of you been to the Royal Elephant Kraal and Village in Ayutthaya, Thailand?????

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]]> By: Photo Essay: The Booming Business of Wildlife Trafficking http://matadorchange.com/from-elephant-tourism-to-elephant-voluntourism/comment-page-1#comment-5953 Photo Essay: The Booming Business of Wildlife Trafficking Sun, 17 Jan 2010 01:55:28 +0000 http://matadorchange.com/?p=172#comment-5953 [...] about animals and the impact of your travels on non-human communities? Read From Elephant Tourism to Elephant Voluntourism to learn how you can use your travel experiences to help protect animals. var ids = new Array; [...] [...] about animals and the impact of your travels on non-human communities? Read From Elephant Tourism to Elephant Voluntourism to learn how you can use your travel experiences to help protect animals. var ids = new Array; [...]

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]]> By: Marieke http://matadorchange.com/from-elephant-tourism-to-elephant-voluntourism/comment-page-1#comment-3403 Marieke Mon, 15 Jun 2009 18:43:00 +0000 http://matadorchange.com/?p=172#comment-3403 Erika, I am so glad you enjoyed the Elephant Nature Park. Lek is an amazing woman doing the work she does. Where you there in time to see the new baby elephant? Erika, I am so glad you enjoyed the Elephant Nature Park. Lek is an amazing woman doing the work she does. Where you there in time to see the new baby elephant?

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]]> By: niamh http://matadorchange.com/from-elephant-tourism-to-elephant-voluntourism/comment-page-1#comment-2943 niamh Mon, 11 May 2009 21:23:16 +0000 http://matadorchange.com/?p=172#comment-2943 Elephants are technically banned from entering the city limits round Bangkok - hard to believe when you wander round the streets there. A few years ago the Govenor banned them, the idea was that all the elephants in the city would be sent to places lke the Nature Park in Chiang Mai. and new ones created near the city. But what happened was that once the tourists ( Thai and foreign) were taken out of the equation, the elephant owners had no money then to feed the elephants and many of them were dumped on the outskirts of the city. It's probably like what happened with horses in the west years ago - once they were no longer needed for working purposes, it was hard to know exactly what to do with so many of them. Elephants are technically banned from entering the city limits round Bangkok – hard to believe when you wander round the streets there. A few years ago the Govenor banned them, the idea was that all the elephants in the city would be sent to places lke the Nature Park in Chiang Mai. and new ones created near the city. But what happened was that once the tourists ( Thai and foreign) were taken out of the equation, the elephant owners had no money then to feed the elephants and many of them were dumped on the outskirts of the city.
It’s probably like what happened with horses in the west years ago – once they were no longer needed for working purposes, it was hard to know exactly what to do with so many of them.

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]]> By: Erika http://matadorchange.com/from-elephant-tourism-to-elephant-voluntourism/comment-page-1#comment-2824 Erika Wed, 06 May 2009 18:31:58 +0000 http://matadorchange.com/?p=172#comment-2824 Just spent a very enjoyable day at Elephant Nature Park just outside of Chiang Mai. They educated us on why it is not desirable to encourage feeding of elephants in cities (for example, in Bangkok, where you will often see an elephant and it's owner walking down the middle of the street selling bags of food you can feed the elephant with), elephant tricks, elephant painting of trekking. We watched a documentary on the 'phajan' that most domesticated elephants go through in order for them to be submissive and obedient and it was quite horrifying. I would recommend Elephant Nature Park to anybody with a conscience interested in seeing elephants free in their natural environment. Just spent a very enjoyable day at Elephant Nature Park just outside of Chiang Mai. They educated us on why it is not desirable to encourage feeding of elephants in cities (for example, in Bangkok, where you will often see an elephant and it’s owner walking down the middle of the street selling bags of food you can feed the elephant with), elephant tricks, elephant painting of trekking. We watched a documentary on the ‘phajan’ that most domesticated elephants go through in order for them to be submissive and obedient and it was quite horrifying. I would recommend Elephant Nature Park to anybody with a conscience interested in seeing elephants free in their natural environment.

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]]> By: VolunTourism Review For Week 16, 2009 http://matadorchange.com/from-elephant-tourism-to-elephant-voluntourism/comment-page-1#comment-2672 VolunTourism Review For Week 16, 2009 Mon, 27 Apr 2009 04:41:16 +0000 http://matadorchange.com/?p=172#comment-2672 [...] Save-The-Earth-Trips.” Marieke van der Velden inked a piece for Matador entitled “From Elephant Tourism To Elephant Voluntourism,” certainly appropriate for the Earth Day spirit. And Seattle Works posted a short piece on [...] [...] Save-The-Earth-Trips.” Marieke van der Velden inked a piece for Matador entitled “From Elephant Tourism To Elephant Voluntourism,” certainly appropriate for the Earth Day spirit. And Seattle Works posted a short piece on [...]

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]]> By: Kelly http://matadorchange.com/from-elephant-tourism-to-elephant-voluntourism/comment-page-1#comment-2617 Kelly Tue, 21 Apr 2009 16:47:52 +0000 http://matadorchange.com/?p=172#comment-2617 Great article! There needs to be more accessible information out there about the treatment of animals (and people) in southeast asia in general. Great article! There needs to be more accessible information out there about the treatment of animals (and people) in southeast asia in general.

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