HOT Magazine HOT Magazine Issue - 9, 10 Volume 5 | Page 33

Wild
Elephants
You’ll see elephants in many places
across Thailand. Typically, they’re
domesticated, but if you want to see
some in the wild the best place is the
Kui Buri National Park, just over an
hour’s drive south of Hua Hin.
The drivers and guides who take
you through the park are actually
local farmers who, for years, fought
with the elephants to protect their
crops. But in 1999 large grass prairies
were created on 12,000 rai (approx.
4,700 acres) of land within the park’s
boundaries. This meant the elephants
had enough to eat without rampaging
through farmers’ fields. Over the last
18 years the wildlife population has
increased to over 200 wild elephants
and 150 gaurs (the world’s largest
wild cattle species). The elephants
now offers farmers and other local
people income– so elephants have
gone from enemy to friend.
You can’t take your own vehicle
into the park proper and must go
with the approved tour vehicles and
guides (800 Baht). Perched on wooden
benches in the back of a ‘pick-up’
trucks with your guide (and chief
wildlife spotter) beside you, off you
set.
Tours typically start mid-afternoon
when the wildlife start getting active
again after the heat of the day. You
take a circular route stopping at
several locations where elephants,
if about, can be easily seen. Overall
you can spend three to four hours
travelling through the park.
Everyone we know who has done
this tour have had multiple sightings
of elephants – so a good success rate!
We certainly did, thanks to our ever
watchful guide! We also captured
some great photos and I was even able
to take a short video of a small family
of Guar that were just 30 meters from
our vehicle.
HOT Magazine
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