Phuket Elephant Sanctuary

Our dinner companions, Thelma and Clive, joined us for a trip to the Phuket Elephant Sanctuary.

As we drove to the sanctuary’s grounds, we passed a latex farm, where we could see little cups catching the rubber as it drips. I’m always surprised by how thin rubber trees are.

Once we arrived, the employees sat us down for refreshments. While we enjoyed fresh banana fritters and other snacks, we watched an eye-opening documentary about the mistreatment of elephants.

I didn’t realize, for instance, that when you see elephants seemingly painting pictures for fun, they are actually being forced to do so by a trainer who covertly pokes them in the ear with a sharp nail. And that’s just one example of how elephants are exploited and mistreated.

The residents here are all elephants that have been rescued from bad circumstances.

The highlight of our visit was feeding fruit to the elephants. They spend most of the day eating leaves, but fruit is a special treat for them, rather like dessert.

I really enjoyed making eye contact with our elephant while feeding her. As you can see, Larry just as delighted as I was.Read more