An Accredited, Sustainable, Award-winning, and Ethical Elephant Sanctuary in Phuket, Thailand
Located on 30 Rai of lush jungle land, near the tropical beaches of west Phuket, we are an ethical elephant sanctuary with a strong focus on high welfare standards for our elephants. Feed, meet, and observe our rescued elephants as they play in the mud, splash in the water, and roam our land.
Our elephant activities in Phuket aren’t just unforgettable — they’re an enlightening journey of learning, care, and adventure. Please don’t hesitate to get in touch if you have any questions about the experiences we provide at our elephant sanctuary in Phuket or how we operate.
The Phuket Elephant Nature Reserve is an accredited and sustainable elephant sanctuary located on the west coast of the tropical island of Phuket, Thailand. Founded in 2019, elephant conservation is of the utmost importance to us, and the welfare of our rescued animals is our primary focus.
In the wild, elephants love to bathe in rivers, ponds, streams, and muddy wallows. They need space to splash, roll around, submerge, and cover themselves in mud. Elephants like peace and quiet, not loud groups of visitors throwing mud or buckets of water at them.
When people crowd around elephants, they find it very stressful. And to allow this to happen in the first place, the mahout needs to control the elephant by forcing it to stand still or lie down. this denies the elephant’s natural behaviour, instincts, and freedoms.
Bathing is also unhygienic for visitors as the elephants urinate and defecate when entering the water, which may cause eye infections and sickness. There are also accidents with people slipping in the mud which is dangerous when there is a three-tonne elephant close by.
Our elephant activities in Phuket limit contact for many reasons, but mostly so our elephants can be free of constant human touch. We want our elephants to enjoy their day just as much as you.
By standing back, you can take the most amazing photos and videos, allowing you to remember your special day with our elephants while playing your part in promoting better standards for elephant care in Phuket. Meet our elephants before your visit and get to know these gentle giants a little better.
Read more on this topic in our blog Why Bathing with Elephants is Unhygienic and Unethical.