Elephant Protection Centres in Laos

Legend has it that Laos was once the land of a million elephants.
Today, only around 700 remain, roughly 300 of them in the wild.

To protect them (and also to run a fairly lucrative business), numerous so-called “elephant protection centres” have sprung up in Laos, much as in Thailand. Unfortunately, not all of them are commendable, and most have little more than the word “protection” in their name.

We place the utmost importance on the welfare of elephants at these centres, and we only recommend those we have personally assessed as genuinely respecting the animals and working toward their protection and reproduction. To date, only the Mekong Elephant Park in PakBeng and Mandalao Elephant Conservation near Luang Prabang have earned our approval. This does not mean others do not exist, but we do not know them personally, and so we prefer not to promote them.

The first criterion is simple: no riding on the elephants’ backs.
Recent studies have shown that this activity, however entertaining and lucrative, is harmful to the animals’ health, particularly their spines. For a long time, we offered this activity ourselves. But it is no longer possible to continue doing so with full knowledge of the facts.
In 2018, we therefore decided to stop all such activities, whether in Laos, Thailand, tiger safaris in India, or even in Africa.

Mekong Elephant Park
Located in Pakbeng, a small and very remote village in northern Laos, close to the Thai border. To make the most of the Mekong Elephant Park, we suggest spending two nights in Pakbeng as part of a cruise (private or shared) on the Mekong departing from Luang Prabang. By combining this trip with northern Thailand or the Muang La region, it is also possible to arrive by road before continuing on to Luang Prabang by boat (or vice versa).
Run by a French team associated with the Sanctuary Pakbeng Lodge, the centre offers daily visits to observe the elephants. Their philosophy is simple: never ask the elephants to behave in a way that is not natural to them. Any unnatural behaviour is forbidden on site. Riding the elephants and bathing with them are not permitted. Visitors may only observe these magnificent animals in their natural environment, so as not to disturb them. Here, it is the visitors who adapt to the animals’ terms, not the other way around!
The centre also provides a livelihood for a good number of villagers (mahouts, centre staff, catering, and so on) — a valuable source of employment for the local population.

Mandalao Elephant Conservation
Less than an hour’s drive from Luang Prabang, Mandalao Elephant Conservation may well be the most renowned protection centre in northern Laos.
Ranging in age from 3 to over 60 years old, Mandalao’s elephants spent most of their lives working in logging camps. With new regulations limiting logging operations across Laos, and committed to the animals’ welfare, the centre’s team has been able to take in these elephants and offer them a dignified, comfortable life in harmony with nature.

Find out more about Laos HERE

Trip report from Laos
by Laurent Guillot, Founder of Étendues Sauvages
“I travelled through northern Laos in August 2018. During the trip, I visited Pakbeng and Luang Prabang, meeting with the manager of the Mekong Elephant Park and spending half a day at the Mandalao Elephant Center.
Here are a few images from this rewarding — and I must say, rather moving — experience. A truly great moment, especially for teenagers!”