A Month In Nepal - Day 14

Sauraha and the Chitwan area are known for their conservation work with Indian Elephants.

Breeding programs and the protection of elephants from poachers in this area are is something that the wider community is in support of.

The breeding centre is set up to allow the wild male bulls come in to mate with the captive female cows.

The young are cared for and when old enough they are released into the park.

The elephant population had taken a hit during the uprising in Nepal as poachers moved in to the park and ran uncontrolled for years.

Now the tourist trade has afforded the elephants an opportunity to recover.

The spotlight is back on Chitwan and the government is working hard on getting the numbers of threatened and endangered species back to a higher level.

This is being achieved through keeping the park under control. The area is actively patrolled by the army and poachers are fair game.

Elephants are a core part of life in Sauraha. It’s not unusual to see them walking down the street with all manner of cargo on their backs.

We have seen how the ‘humane’ parks in Thailand treat and train their elephants over the years. In Nepal it is very different. The rate of rough treatment is much lower, if at all existent.

The Mahouts work with their elephants very closely, and I’ve seen elephants come running to their Mahouts and wrap their trunks around them like a big hug.

Personally, I’m not in favour of any type of industry like this. However, this is the much lesser of the possible evils at this time in society.