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No elephant riding, no elephant torture or brutality, just elephant LOVE!
Welcome to Sonchana Farms and meet Somboon!
Today, riding elephants and supporting any type of animal cruelty should be old news. Now it's 2022, and there are ethical and sustainable ways to interact with animals!
Sonchana Farms is just that.
About the Farm
Sonchana Farms is a family-owned farm that cares for Somboon, a free, "retired" elephant that has lived there already for 7 years.
The owners bought Somboon with a broken tusk and cataracts in one eye. From the moment the family purchased Somboon, he became a free elephant. No longer subject to entertaining tourists in a non-ethical way.
Since Somboon is retired and living his happy life, the farm offers visitors activities that help provide him with what he needs.
The Experience
Visitors can come, make him food, feed him and bathe him. They also plant plants for the elephant and even learn how to speak to them!
You get to spend a lot of time with both Somboon and the owner, Aek, learning about the history of the family-owned farm and Somboon. It was so much fun getting to feed Somboon, he was clearly so comfortable and friendly with us (maybe because we had bananas 😉 ).
It was truly an experience I won't ever forget! I wish I was there long enough to really nail the elephant language and be able to talk to him!
All proceeds go to caring for Somboon, and since it's just one elephant, he gets only the best of care.
This is a wonderful experience to include if you are visiting in the Khao Sok area, and if you are in that area, I recommend checking out the resort, 500Rai which you can read about here.
Enjoy Sonchana Farms and give Somboon a banana for me! 😍
Elephants are large, intelligent mammals that are native to Africa and Asia. They are the largest land animals in the world, with males reaching up to 13 feet tall and weighing as much as 14,000 pounds.
Elephants are known for their distinctive long trunks, which they use for a variety of purposes, including breathing, smelling, drinking, and manipulating objects. They also have large ears that they use to dissipate heat, and thick, gray skin that protects them from the sun and insects.
Elephants are social animals that live in groups called herds, which are usually led by a matriarch. They communicate with each other through a range of vocalizations, as well as by using body language and touch.
Unfortunately, elephants…