Elephant Conservation Center

This successful breeding center, about an hour outside Chiang Mai, takes care of 12 elephants. They have added three babies, through natural fertilization, over the past 4 years. The baby in this picture, who playfully enjoyed running into me head first while feeding his mother, is just over 8 months old. The center adopts elephants from around Thailand when they can no longer be cared for. The natural habitat provides them with a trail walk and bath in the river every day. The caretakers are mostly hill-tribe natives who have experience working with the big gentle creatures.