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A changing climate means changing weather patterns in the north of Thailand and changing resources for our elephants. To protect our elephants we need to work proactively to have plans in place before the next dry season. 

Our elephants spend the majority of the year in a lush bamboo forest which provides everything they need for rainy season. We offer no supplementary feeding and they are free to forage at their leisure. 

During dry season from around February to May or June this forest dries up, the rivers cease to flow and the fresh bamboo that they love diminishes. They follow the natural course of their ancestors at this time and move to an evergreen forest at a higher elevation, this offers them a different diet of grasses and other plants that they feast on during the dry months. 

Dry season has become harsher and drier in recent years and to protect our elephants we need to plant emergency supplementary food so we are prepared for all the weather to come. 

We have seen unprecidented pressure on the forest this year due to changing weather and seasonal patterns. As a foundation working closely with our mahouts we believe in being proactive to make sure our elephants and community have the tools to stay resilient towards whatever challenges will come!                  

To ease the pressure on the forest for the next year, we will be renting around 4 acres of land and offering the owner an alternative income. Many families grow corn as a cash crop which is then sold and used commercially for animal feed and is not native. It causes much destruction in the area as it needs a large area for the yield and so damages and invades the forest land. It relies on pesticides and is a cause for great concern now by government and villagers alike. Renting land from local villagers will allow them to transition away from corn and replant native species requiring no use of pesticides. 

The area we will be planting immediately will start with crops of grasses and banana trees for supplementary night time feeding in the harshest dry season months only. 

This is a WIN WIN situation as it helps the forest and elephants. We help an owner to convert a very damaging corn field into growing food for our elephants which will send a strong message in the area. The area is right next to the forest the elephants roam in so in time we would hope to re claim this back as forested land. 

PLEASE NOTE; our recent grant success is divided up into a very clear plan, part of which is re forestation. We will be launching a re forestation project very soon which we are all very excited about. This area is for the purpose of supplementary food for our elephants and therefore falls out of the remit for the grant. 

We are asking for your help to rent this land which will cost 5,000 Thai Baht per month / £112 GBP / $144 US. We have set our target at £1,500 to cover the first year. 

There is an URGENCY to start this project NOW as planting season starts again in June when the rains come, if we miss this opportunity the area will be all corn for another year. 

We are truly grateful for you kindness and support in helping us to help our community and their elephants. 

Thank you from the whole team at Mahouts Elephant Foundation. 

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