Welcome to Luang Prabang Elephant Camp

Lao PDR has a rich culture and history in which the Asian Elephant plays a prominent role. Lao people regard the Asian elephant as a symbol of the power and potential of the forest. Statues and carvings of elephants adorn temples and houses throughout the country. The Asian elephant also features in spiritual and cultural ceremonies and festivals held throughout Lao PDR.

In particular, the ‘Elephant Festival’ is an annual event which draws thousands of national and international visitors. It brings together domestic elephants from five districts in Xayabouly Province. In 2018 there were more than 60 elephants at the festival. The festival aims to raise awareness of Asian elephants, their important role in the history and culture of Laos, and to promote national tourism that can generate income and help conserve domestic elephants.

For many hundreds of years elephants have helped humans to explore and exploit wild landscapes in Lao PDR. Elephants were extensively used in logging operations to transport cut timber and supplies over terrain that is impassable for vehicles. As new technologies emerge logging elephants are less required for such operations and are increasingly used in the tourism sector.

Even today elephants in Lao PDR continue to carry travelers through the forests providing a unique vantage point. Researchers, naturalists, and scientists also continue to use the elephant as a means of exploring and carrying equipment. But the wild elephants are now protected, and we assist probably at the last generation of mahouts living all their life with their elephant companion.

The elephant is Earth’s largest land animal, although the Asian elephant is slightly smaller than its African cousin. Asian elephants can be identified by their smaller, rounded ears. Elephants live around 60 years.

Elephant ears radiate heat to help keep these large animals cool, but sometimes that isn’t enough. Elephants are fond of water and enjoy showering after sucking water into their trunks. An elephant’s trunk is actually a long nose with many functions. It is used for smelling, breathing, trumpeting, drinking, and also for grabbing things - especially a potential meal. The trunk alone contains about 100,000 different muscles.

A wild elephant lives around 60 years in Laos. Female elephants (cows) live in family herds with their young, but adult males (bulls) tend to roam on their own.

Having a baby elephant is a serious commitment. Elephants have a longer pregnancy than any other mammal - almost 22 months. Cows usually give birth to one calf every two to four years. At birth, elephants already weigh 100kg and stand about three feet (1 meter) tall.

Asian elephants have been domesticated for thousands of years. The powerful beasts have been employed to move heavy objects, such as felled trees, to carry humans on their backs, and even to wage war.

Elephants use their tusks to dig for roots and water, strip bark from trees, and even fight each other. Unfortunately their ivory has gotten them into a lot of trouble. Because ivory is so valuable to some humans, many elephants have been killed for their tusks. This trade is illegal today in Laos.

Elephants eat roots, grasses, fruit, and bark, and they eat a lot of these things. An adult elephant can consume up to 100-150 kg of food in a single day. These hungry animals do not sleep much, and they roam over great distances while foraging for the large quantities of food they require to sustain their massive bodies.