Thank you, Asia "Meeting Elephants" (54 days left)

Elephants are amazing.  What a gift we have had living in Asia where we have been able to encounter elephants while on our travels.  In Thailand we fed and rode elephants.  We also witnessed elephants painting.  While I may not endorse all of this now, at the time we enjoyed our experiences very much.  There are 13 elephant sanctuaries in Thailand and three in Sri Lanka.

Alec feeding the baby. 

In Sri Lanka we went to an elephant reserve where we saw them roaming as a herd.  We got so close!  

I remember an elephant there who had only three legs.  The fourth had been tragically damaged by poachers.  The elephant was cared for, in part, by perching his stub on a log.  It was incredibly sad on many levels.  But I can say, that when you are close up and personal with powerful and beautiful beings such as these, you care about them instantly. 

Baby came along with us.

Sadly, according to the BBC, Hong Kong has been importing ivory from elephant tusks for over 150 with 2021 being the first year where it is entirely illegal and traders are obligated to dispose of their stock.

You can see a video here which includes our encounter with elephants in Chiang Mai, Thailand.

Photos by © Brenda Brayko. All rights reserved.