CHI JUNGLE MAN
NEWS
OCTOBER 2025: ELEPHANTS UPDATE
Dear Friends,
For those of you who follow us since the beginning, you know that over the past 8 years we repeated countless of times that we wanted to find the perfect place to take care of the elephants.
At our former place, we had the forest on site but we had to walk a long way to reach the river.
At our current location, the river is close but we have to cross a big road and plantations to go to the forest.
After visiting many lands we finally found the right place just 10 min away.
It's a little paradise with a big field for the elephant's home, a big pond where they can refresh, a stream running in the middle, and the forest surrounding us.
This new location gives us a lot of joy and hope.
Our elephant project has been constantly evolving since the beginning. First we stopped the riding 8 years ago, then the bathing 7 years ago, rented more land to give the elephants in our care more space and freedom in their natural habitat.
We want this new chapter to be a symbol of unity between humans, animals and nature.
We can't wait to welcome you in our little paradise, to observe and learn about the elephants.
We are working tirelessly everyday to create the best space possible for our future elephants and humans guests and we'll hopefully be able to open this month.
To all of you who have been supporting us al these years, through thick and thin, from our tough time during the Covid crisis, the passing of some beloved giants or the separation with our babies; Thank you so much! Nothing could be possible without you. You are a big part of our dream and a forever part of our family.
*Stay posted on our social medias (Ig/Fb) to see photos/videos of our new place, the work we've done and to meet the first elephants who'll be living with us.
**If you've made a booking with the elephants, don't worry, whether at our current location or at our new place, you'll meet beautiful giants in an ethical way.
13/05/2024: CHANGE OF ELEPHANT CAMP
Dear Friends,
We want to inform you that we are moving to a new elephant camp this Monday 13th May.
Following the sudden departure last week of our beloved babies Dok Boua and Malee, we have decided to move away.
We created “Chi Jungle Man” especially to help this elephant family. We stopped the riding and bathing with visitors, we rented places in the jungle and at the river to give them more space and freedom, raised funds to help build safer enclosures and support them with food during Covid…
Chi lived with them for over 25 years but after 7 years working for them, we sadly have to part ways to ensure that our idea of ethical work is respected.
Our goal has always been to keep the family together, so they can live peacefully with as much freedom as possible as domestic elephants. Unfortunately, the babies were sent away without our consent and there is nothing we can do about it.
It’s with heavy hearts that we leave the rest of the family (Jokia, Mae Noi, Kampai, Ploy Wan and Dok Koon) but we don’t want to support the sale of elephants.
We hope that people will understand that the family bond is strong and should be protected.
This being said, we want to give a chance to another herd for a better life.
We found another place in Mae Win where the owner is willing, with our help, to aim for a more ethical direction for his elephants. We’ll bring them the freedom and respect they deserve. There are 5 elephants from 9 to 65 years old.
The place is just 1km away from the previous one on the river’s side. There is a flat space where the elephants sleep and where we can feed them, the river is on site and there is a piece of land in the jungle where they can forage.
We just have to adapt to this new elephant family and get to know each of their personalities.
We sincerely hope that you will support our position and follow us in this next step.
Thank you for your understanding in these particularly difficult and emotional moments.
01/02/2022 : FULL RE-OPENING
23/03/2020 : GOOD BYE FRIENDS😢
Today we officially close our activity following government decision regarding Coronavirus (Covid-19).
We hope this crises will pass and that we'll welcome you again soon in our beautiful mountains. Until that day we wish you to stay safe, stay home, to fight this virus. While we take care of our elephant family and enjoy the nature around us. In the meantime, don't forget you can participate to raise money to buy food for the elephants.
https://www.weeboon.com/index.php?lg=en&thm=campaign&sthm=page&id_campaign=420
Thank you all and see you soon.
🙏🐘🐕🐃🐓🌳🌻
07/03/2020 : BIRTH OF DOK KOON (GOLDEN SHOWER FLOWER)
Mae Noi gave birth to a tiny little boy at 3am after 3 days of pain. You can read the story of this complicated birth on our social medias.
30/08/2019 : BIRTH OF MALEE (JASMINE FLOWER)
Kampai gave us a big surprise at 4.00am. She gave birth to a little girl at the least expected time. They are both well. Malee is joining the family just a bit more than a month after Dok Boua.
23/07/2019 : BIRTH OF DOK BOUA (LOTUS FLOWER)
Our beautiful Jokia did a perfect job on this rainy night. The most cute and hairy baby arrived in our family.
20/06/2019: CONSTRUCTION OF THE ENCLOSURE
The new enclosure is finished and ready to welcome our elephants for the night. We'd like to thanks again all the people who donate for this project.
We'll continue to improve their space as much as we can.
21/05/2019: CLOSING DONATION CAMPAIGN ON 31/05/2019
We will close the donation campaign to help build a new enclosure for the night.
You have until 31st of May if you want to donate. Thank you!
https://www.weeboon.com/en/campaign/build-a-new-enclosure-to-let-the-baby-elephants-free-of-chain-at-night-around-their-mum
JANUARY 2019 DONATION:
Dear friends, (En français dessous)
We opened a campaign to raise funds to build a new enclosure to let the baby elephants free of chain at night.
Ploy Wan is already enjoying this freedom at night with her mom Kampai but we would like that Por Kao can enjoy it too.
We estimated the cost of the work at 200000 bahts.
Any donation will be really appreciated.
You can click on the link below to enter the donation site.
Thank you all for your support!
Chers amis,
Nous avons ouvert une campagne afin de récolter des fonds pour construire un nouvel enclos pour laisser les bébés éléphants sans chaines la nuit.
Ploy Wan en profite déjà avec sa maman Kampai mais nous souhaiterions que Por Kao en profite aussi.
Nous avons estimé le coût des travaux à 200000 bahts.
Chaque donation sera vraiment appréciée.
Vous pouvez cliquer sur le lien ci-dessous pour entrer sur le site de donation.
Merci à tous pour votre soutien!
https://www.weeboon.com/en/campaign/build-a-new-enclosure-to-let-the-baby-elephants-free-of-chain-at-night-around-their-mum
30/01/2019 :
Bathing the elephants is an activity that will be completely stopped on 1st of March at Chi Jungle Man.
We are asking our visitors for the month of February to consider it and try to take a step back at the river.
Thank you.
18/01/2019 :
"IMPORTANT NOTE ABOUT ELEPHANTS"
Hi Everyone,
Last year 2018, the first year of Chi Jungle Man, by your visits you have helped us to buy enough food for the elephants.
We want this year 2019, to be a step forward for the well being of the elephants.
We already started a campaign to raise funds to improve their daily life by building some facilities.
(You can donate when you want, as much as you want, if you want to help us, by following the link : https://www.weeboon.com/en/campaign/build-a-new-enclosure-to-let-the-baby-elephants-free-of-chain-at-night-around-their-mum ).
Our second step is to leave the elephants more free during your visit by limiting the interactions with them.
And this is during their bath at the river that we want to make a change.
The elephants have to go to the river every day to cool off, to wash away dust and pests, to keep a healthy skin and relax.
Usually the people go with them in the river to help wash them.
However we know that they don't "need" our help to wash them.
In fact we can observe them immersing themselves in the water and then scratching on the sand or against each other.
This is a perfect moment for them to bond as a herd, to communicate, to relax.
This will be also a better way for you to learn about the elephants, to see them act naturally.
You'll still be able to feed them, walk by their side in the jungle or to the river and swim at the river if you want but we want to give them more space.
We hope you understand that our goal is the well being of the elephants.
We know that the people who visit us have a good sense of ethic.
We hope you'll continue to help us make things happen in a good way for the elephants by continuing to come see us.
Thank you.
PS: This will be on for the next bookings. For those of you who have already booked with us for this year, you'll have to decide on site. We know that change can takes time.
14/01/2019 :
RULES WITH ELEPHANTS
Spend time with elephants requires to know and follow some rules.
1st : THE MAHOUTS : You have to understand that the mahouts spend their life with the elephants, 24h/24h, 7 days a week, days and nights. They don't take vacations.
One mahout takes care of one elephant. If there is a baby the mahout takes care of the mum and her baby.
That's how they can create a real bond with their elephant, know their personality and reactions.
2nd : THE ELEPHANTS : Because they are living together for years now, our elephants have formed a herd and the mahouts know them all pretty well.
There is however an exception with the only male of the herd, Papa Joe. As nice and sweet as he is in his every day life, only his mahout can really take care of him while he's on heat. During the musth he can become dangerous for any human or elephant.
3rd : ALWAYS listen to the guide or the mahouts.
Even if the mahouts doesn't speak English :
- If they show you to stay away from an elephant : stay away.
- If they show you to take another way : take the other way.
4th : We are lucky to have wonderful elephants and you have the chance to meet them.
But be aware that they are still wild animals and no pets, and that they have the same feelings as humans.
The adults are the more calm.
The babies were born here and listen most of the time the mahouts but they like to play and don't know their strenght.
5th : Don't try anything stupid with the elephants.
Don't tease them with food. They will win anyway.
Don't scream.
Be quiet and calm in their presence.
Talk to them nicely.
Show them that you care.
We never had any problem and we want to keep it this way.
So please follow the rules and enjoy your time with them.
Thank you.
