we had no idea how eye opening our trip to kanchanaburi was going to be
it was shameful to learn that the peaceful giants everythwere
are fighting to survive
and not only against extinction
but from the hands of the human race
we learned quite quickly about the methods used by all trainers everywhere just so we can sit on their backs or watch them parade around for kicks
elephant haven used to be a riding camo
for tourists
but now its a sanctuary
the elephants there have new jobs
just to be elephants
and its our job as their stuards to continue to protect them
i mean its pretty simple
now we gotten ahead of ourselves
lets go back to the start
we had to get across thialnad
in a day because we found
online and something told us in our hearts
we had to go there
so were leaving ko kood now
and were feeling extremely sad like we always do
when we leave awesome energy places
but were on to our next trip which is
a full day of travel
and then were going to
an interesting place I'm going to get it wrong
kanchanaburi
thats probably wrong
where were going to visit some elephants
elephant sanctuary
but right now
its time to say bye
theres two types of elephant species
found on the planet
and the ones we were heading to experience
which are found in asia
both elephant species
share the same heart felt sotory
one created by the impact
our massive human imprint, poachers
and sport hunters
all of which have aggressively
placed both elephants on the endengared species list
soon to be forgotten
disappeared forever
over the passing of the last
century the entire
elephas maximus population
is estimated to have plomuted
from 400 000
to only 30 000
thats a mere 7.5 remaining
and now here in thailand
where they've been revered for generations
as the national anima;
only 3 000 remain
so we just got into the terminal
and they have a vegan buffet here for us
who said you can't travel and be vegan
in thailand
like a christmas present
maybe the thai dessert isn't my thing
look at that mountain of dessert
equally as sad * as this tumble towards extinction
is the extremely large percentage of our planets surviving elephants * who currently live or are being born into a captivity that subjects them to a darkened life span * of human exploitation.
and what makes this idea more uncomfortable to us
is the realization that their sacrifice… is for the sake of entertainment and tourists
for the people like us
who usually try our best
to never admit that
we just don't know any better
but we were about
to learn
we made it to bangkok
and i almost puked cause i had weird sticky rice
so now were gonna go and find a skytrain
so were on a mini bus
heading over to kanchanaburi
trying to read 1984
just wanna get there already
in an hour and half I've read
30 pages
its good though
we made it to kanchanaburi now were
on our last taxi to the hotel thank god
hello everyone
my name is khun
welcome here elephant haven
thailand
we are in partnership with elephant nature park
in chang mai
here elephant haven thailand
used to be the trekking camp for
elephant riding
elephant shows
and used the bo hooks
to control the elephant
but now we have no hooks
no shows no riding
we just give them love
thank u so much
for your coming
you can be the voice for the elephants
and voice of the animals
in the world you can change the world
its in your hands
good morning
so we had a wonderful sleep
and now we are
waiting to get picked up
to go to the elephant sanctuary
elephants that are finally rescued
from years of labour
and get to live out life like they should
didnt take me long to find a puppy
we didnt know what to expect
nothing could have prepeared
us to meet such wonderful creatures
or for the energy of such wonderful place
with such dedicated compassionate people
welcome I'm sunny
im a tour guide here
at elephant haven
our elephants are lovely
and friendly
to our guests
wish to see an elephant conservation
my name is ging
i work for elephant nature park
and elephant nature oark
is a first
sanctuary and rescue
elephants in 1995
we learned that elephants have roughly the same life span as people
and that like humans
they form lifelong relationships
with each other
and with us
that they're heightened intelligence
is woven through their awareness
of self each other
and their experience
all of which contribute
to the creation of their wide variety
of deep and
santient emotion
she is the oldest one she is around
55 years old
we call her the slowly one
she eats slowly
walks slowly
this one is the biggest one
and the most beautiful
pim jai
means impression
and its their ability
to learn
imagine create
and even communicate through their own unique language that makes the line that separates
us from them and them from us extremely thin
and when you look with your heart
their eyes seem to tell a story
when whispered abut their dark
history which began the moment
the people figured out how to hold dominion over them
right now
we have about 67 elephants
rescued
and most of them
are rescued from the trekking companies
the circus
some from street begging
some with broken legs
and with blind eye
form the people that abuse them
this one is
lamea
she is blind on her right side
and she has a broken
ear on her right side
and this one is
she's healthy
because she likes to exercise
walk
but even though elephants may never forget
it truly is their forgiveness
which is their gift to us
because it can make us stronger
and gives us the chance
to be better than we were yesterday
to them
and to all the others
and at elephant haven
in sanctuaries like it all over the world
the good people there have created
a starting point for us
for a new relationship
one thats built on the respect
thast deserved
that can be shown as a blueprint
to anyone brave engouh
to look a new relationship
between ourselves
and all creatures alike
alive and being born
which can be carried across our planet like a banneer
and passed on to our children
and theirs
and right now
they're giving us this chance
but we have to look with our hearts
if you come to thailand
you should come to visit elephant nature park
its a beautiful place
for animal rescue
even dogs and cats
and water buffalo
and theres many kind of animals
thats rescued to freedom
to freedom
and in the end
it all seemed like a dream
beautiful yet unsettling
magical
yet heartbreaking
because it became quite clear
that theres still a mountain to climb
and elephant sanctuary and elephant nature park
they're just the base of that mountain
the beginning
they desperately need our help
because there so many
places where animals
freedom is stolen by the human hands
and it needs to be talked about
so what can you do
well we can speak our minds whenever anyone will listen
we can talk to our friends and our families
or you can find it in your heart to
give up a simple 5 dollar spend
right now
a coffee a bag of chips, a movie ticket, some makeup whatever
you click the link and donate that money instead
its really nothing to you or me
but its everything to the people at elephant haven
its their real life
they live it every single day
or you could just share this video or anything like it
because just like us before we left there are so many people
that just have no idea
and we all have to keep believing
that its possible
that one simple gesture into the intent unknown
it could be the one
that causes a ripple
an endless echo
and inspires the next and the next
and before anyone knows how to trace it back
the change could be upon us
cause in the end its just about communication
and after all
we are all connected
this is how animals are meant to live
freedom
you can be the voice of the elephants
and the voice of the animals
in the world
you can change the world
its in your hands