A small village in northeast Thailand has become a popular attraction for elephant lovers looking to get up close and personal with their favorite pachyderms.
Locals in the town of Ban Ta Klang in Thailand’s Surin province, many of them descended from the Kui ethnic minority, keep elephants as domesticated animals, letting them live in their midst as pets, if not members of the family.
Nearby, visitors are encouraged to stop by the Elephant Study Center, a museum and habitat that works with the nonprofit Surin Project, which aims “at improving the living conditions of captive Asian elephants by providing economic sustainability for their owners through responsible volunteer tourism.” Tourism in the area has given the mahouts (those who ride and care for the elephants) a better alternative to the way of life for many: begging on the streets in Thailand’s larger cities.
European Pressphoto Agency contributed reporting.