Elephant Nature Park 2011-2012, Chiang Mai, Thailand

This is shocking and upsetting news.

Tweet from ENP 6 hrs ago:

"** URGENT ** Elephant Nature Park is expecting more raids on 28 Feb"


Sure looks like govt retaliation for speaking up about abuse in a BIG money-making industry which the govt's economy is deeply invested.

"Elephants are a focus of Thailand's $2 billion tourist industry, which employs more than 2 million people."
http://www.smh.com.au/environment/conserva...l#ixzz1nbv9B6E9

Responsible Travel blog

Wildlife At Risk

We just received news today that two popular Wildlife sanctuaries in Thailand are currently being raided by government officials who are acquiring the animals for illegal trade purposes.

According to our sources, the Elephant Nature Park in Thailand, which provides sanctuary to more than 30 elephants and the Wildlife Friends Foundation of Thailand (WFFT) are being subjected to the Thai government’s actions in retaliation for raising awareness about the government’s illegal trade activities.

http://www.worldfootprints.com/wildlife-at-risk

The whole world is watching! The whole world is watching!

From ENP Twitter ...

The story about the raids at Elephant Nature Park. Please "like" and "share" this story.... http://fb.me/1DShP72we

From above post:

I was told to prepare for arrest as they had seen the warrant issued by the order that the director of DNP (Mr Damrong Pidech) will personally go to Elephant Nature Park to target to arrest Lek.

http://elephantnaturepark.org/news/elephan...d_news_lek1.htm

Damrong was the same one who headed the raid at WFFT. Keep in mind he has retained Chaiwat who has been charged with murder.
Please see prev post:
http://z13.invisionfree.com/Elephant_Comme...ndpost&p=770258

The Players: http://bit.ly/yhjbmf

Recent ENP volunteer/"Bhutanese nomad" blog post.

The Sad and Troubling Story of Thailand's Elephants

Darrick [Lek's husband]...told me that they were close to achieving some basic laws passed for the safety and humane treatment of tamed elephants. If that happens, Darrick told me, Lek will have to go into hiding. Not a surprise given that Lek had already faced threat before. Peta had apparently gotten hold of a video of the "Crushing" that Lek had shown and they called for tourists to boycott Thailand. This outraged the tourist industry and Lek received several threats eventually resulting in the poisoning of one of the baby elephants on her preserve....

I just hope that Lek doesn't get arrested or for that matter harmed. If that were to happen it will not only make the Thai government and the authorities look ridiculous but they would be harming a Thai hero.

http://www.sonamongmo7.com/2012/02/sad-and...-thailands.html

Note this Mar. 1st post from this blogger:
http://z13.invisionfree.com/Elephant_Comme...ndpost&p=783790

Tweet from Edwin 4 hrs ago:

DNP gained access to ENP just now. Staff and volunteers tried to block gate. warrant presented. #ThaiWildlifeRaid other deps not joining DNP

Tweet from Edwin 5 hrs ago:

Surin elephant village to be raided next week. Question is why NGOs first target here? Surin elephant babies moving out now, one week notice

...Thai and international media on site awaiting raid


Breaking News: Thai officials raid Elephant Nature Park
http://www.dtravelsround.com/2012/02/28/thai-wildlife-raid/

Elephant Raids: 28 Feb 12 A message from our founder

27 Feb 12 I received a number of concerned phone calls from the local governor, vet department and police friends who support our work. I was told to prepare for arrest as they had seen the warrant issued by the order that the director of DNP (Mr Damrong Pidech) will personally go to Elephant Nature Park to target to arrest Lek.

They claimed that we have the baby elephants at the park and they claim that they were captured from the wild. We have already sent the hair and blood sample for the DNP to test DNA, but they do not care for this evidence and it has been ignored

Today we expect them to confiscate 8 elephants, including 5 babies. Normally an elephant will not be issued a birth certificate until they are 8 years old and our baby are only 2 years old

We will do whatever possible to protect our elephants. Today I prepare to go to jail but the fight for my animals and justice will never stop.

http://www.elephantnaturepark.org/news/ele...d_news_lek1.htm

Update: Today's raid ended with NO confiscations or arrests due to incomplete paperwork and the support of our volunteers, press and legal team. I will post more details of this tomorrow.

Thank you all for your kind support - you have helped to keep us safe

https://www.facebook.com/TheElephantNatureP...151324117765543

Thanks to a member of TEC Facebook for alerting us to this video:

DNP Raid Elephant Nature Park (Chiang Mai, Thailand)

The Elephant Nature Park (Chiang Mai, Thailand) was raided today by the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP). They are claiming that the park has wild elephants without paperwork. All elephants at the Park however are rescued from abuse by Thailand's lucrative trekking industry and illegal logging operations. Most have severe disabilities such as landmine injuries, broken hips from logging and back injuries from trekking. Some are even completely blind. This raises the question as to why the DNP thinks these elephants can be from the wild.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=axQCBqjf-wE&feature=share

Lek says at 1:15 that, in the area, there are 248 elephants in 16 camps, and half of them have no paperwork - but they are not being targeted.

From WFFT FB

Jo Ireson Come on everyone. Email scoop@huffingtonpost.com En-masse we can make them listen. If you've got time to post here, you've got time to email them - even if it's just one line it will show them there is massive interest.

FYI, petition has surpassed 50k sig's
http://tiny.cc/thairaid

Tweet by Edwin 7 hrs ago:

Due to resistance of staff and locals at ENP the raid today was without arrests but the threat is not over yet, they will be back in 15 days

https://twitter.com/#!/EdwinWiek

Action Alert from WFFT FB:

Lynne Riley Keep posting comments on www.facebook.com/amazingthailand they are removing posts but have only managed to stop access to comments on posts but you can still comment - keep going and they may have to shut the site down!

Sabine Rette yess keep posting! it seems to work... they can't follow up erasing all the posts! grreat!! go there and protest thailands behaviour towards the WFFT and human/animals rights!
http://www.facebook.com/AmazingThailand

Paul Edwards Twitter -
http://twitter.com/#!/go2Thailand
http://twitter.com/#!/ThailandFanClub

Message from ENP

Thank you all for your wonderful support over this most difficult period. We will be posting more news on our website later and will let you know when this has happened.

One *very* important note about posting to this page. Please refrain from personal insults - however justified you think they may be and MOST IMPORTANTLY please do not make any requests or mentiosn of their Majesties the Royal Family of Thailand.

Thank you all so much for your crucial support for our herd and everyone at the park.

https://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=home#...151326073215543

Short report with 4 photos:

Raids at ENP by Department of National Parks 29 February 2012

The third raid at our park in a matter of days. This time a number of factors including the media glare prevented the confiscation of herd members. Local community support, volunteer protests, world-wide media and support helped us through this difficult period.

We send our heart felt thanks to you all.

http://elephantnaturepark.org/news/elephan...news_280212.htm

I am so glad to see the turnout of protesters and the media. I hope this helps slow down and stop this craziness.

Positive reviews being posted on Trip Advisor. Consider posting to offer support and indirectly send a message to the Thai govt.

http://www.tripadvisor.ca/ShowUserReviews-...Chiang_Mai.html

Also a thread here if you want to chime in:
http://www.tripadvisor.ca/ShowTopic-g29391...Chiang_Mai.html

Blogger with some inside info. Some highlights:

Please help Elephant Whisperer Lek Chailert!

1. Lek asked the government for 30 days to get the required papers for Jokia and Medo I don’t know the details but it has to do with tracking down previous owners in other areas of Thailand. The government gave her 15 days and threatens to take Jokia and Medo if the papers are not completed.

2. They made it very clear to her that some people hate her because she stands for people who are trying to do the right thing. This is about taking a strong stand against elephant trafficking.

3. They are threatening to take her land. They will inspect it all for illegal activity. As is being said, if they can’t find one thing they will try to find something else to cause problems.

4. The government also was very interested in why the park has so many Karen. (The plight of the Karen is a totally different story that overlaps). The park has about 255 employees, 75% of which are Karen.... [see this post]

6. At least one local official was trying to take Lek’s side....

...the Thai news media will publish what they can but like the American media they receive pressures from the people in power.

http://www.animalfair.com/home/elephant-wh...-lek-elephants/

For more history, see this thread:
http://z13.invisionfree.com/Elephant_Comme...?showtopic=1161

A totally blind and a extremely crippled elephant, and DNP wants legal papers. Shame, shame on them.

Or they're going to take them away? What purpose would that serve? This is so painful to follow.

Recent ENP volunteer/"Bhutanese nomad" blog post.

Update on The Elephant Lady.

However, the way it is being conducted and the way Lek is being targeted is the problem. She is an outspoken critic of the mistreatment of these pachyderms and the industry which employs over a million people makes these elephants "cash cows" for them. Hence there is the need to acquire more elephants and this comes through forced breeding, which is another horrific process, or simply capturing them from the wild. This illicit trade (all the way from Burma, Thailand and the region) involves local govt authorities. No wonder they want to find ways to shut her up.

In the end I hope the goodwill of Lek and the thousands of supporters she has from all over the world, not to forget the many Thai's too, will prevail. I also hope that the Thai's will realize that by destroying the elephant - an animal at the centre of their lives - is essentially destroying themselves and their own natural heritage.

http://www.sonamongmo7.com/2012/03/so-it-w...e-since-id.html

Note previous post from this blogger:
http://z13.invisionfree.com/Elephant_Comme...ndpost&p=778292

Older blog post. Worth scrolling for ENP PICS only. And noting again this quoted fact:

"The truth is, elephants are big business in Thailand."

http://www.alwaystwirling.com/close-encoun...-elephant-kind/

I urge everyone to contact the Thai embassies now to express your feelings. Time is of the essence....

Thai embassies contacts: http://bit.ly/wwk2Nh

Elephant Nature Park in Thailand Needs U.S. Voice

http://allanimalsblog.org/2012/03/01/eleph...eeds-u-s-voice/

US animal rights organization, Alliance for Animals, in Wisconsin is also working on the Dane County bullhook ban.

Punishing those who help and care, Opinion

Are these raids due to the fact that Lek, like Edwin Wieks, has expressed concerns about an alleged illegal elephant trade? If they are wrong (and I don't think they are), then prove it! But don't take it out on those elephants, who, in many cases, suffered horribly before being rescued by the Elephant Nature Park. -- Eric Bahrt, Pattaya

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/opinion/Pu...e-30177168.html

Response to the Raids and other issues from our Founder 03 Mar 12

All they found were our herd of 35 elephants, most of them handicapped or in poor physical shape after years of human abuse.

All of our elephants have had microchips embedded in them by the government, some have more than one microchip, as difference departments has chosen to place their own.

http://www.elephantnaturepark.org/news/120303_1.htm

And this from above article:

"(Please note that the DNP has no legal jurisdiction over domestic elephants which our entire park herd are legally classified as)...."

No legal jurisdiction!

Video with English subtitles:

The Department of National Parks raid at our home for the 3rd time 28th Feb 12

http://elephantnaturepark.org/news/elephant_raid__video2.htm

Lek has asked (on Twitter) to:

"Please "Like" and "Share" our post and page http://fb.me/1xmjZooXM "
https://twitter.com/#!/ElephantNatureP/...232375947247616


The video just shows the story of classic gaslighting by abusers; people in power & control being architects of false realities http://bit.ly/xkiOKG

Like they jumped off the wheel: http://tiny.cc/pcwheel
Doing just what abusers do:

Using Coercion and Threats
Using Intimidation
Using Emotional Abuse
Using Male Privelege
Threatening to take the children (eles) away
Shifting responsiblity for abusive behavior
on and on

Classic culture of abuse!