Our Initiatives
Sustainable & ethical elephant tourism
We supported our partners in establishing the a community-based elephant retirement initiative within a Karen hill tribe village. Through this alternative livelihood program, we helped elephant owners and mahouts remain in their community while allowing their elephants to roam naturally in the surrounding forest. This model ensures both ethical elephant care and a stable income for the families who have long depended on these animals. Building on that success, we were able to raise the funds to permanently retire two elephants, who are now free from work forever, living a peaceful life with our partners in Thailand.
Veterinary assistance
With the support of compassionate donors and volunteers, we’ve been able to provide essential care that animals in rural areas often go without. This includes vaccinations, deworming, first aid, and working with a local charity to desex village animals—helping to prevent disease, reduce suffering, and break the cycle of unwanted litters.
Education
Through the elephant retirement project, we were able to strengthened the connection between the community and local wildlife. We were able to provide structured English lessons, animal-welfare workshops, and fun sports days—activities that helped children learn, grow, and build confidence. Involving the community is essential to long-term wildlife welfare, and by encouraging compassion and responsible animal care, the program helped nurture a kinder future for both the elephants and the people who share their home.
Isara Elephant Foundation
Founded in 2015 by an Australian veterinary nurse, Isara Elephant Foundation began with a simple mission: to improve conditions for animals in Thailand.
In our early years, we travelled throughout remote regions providing essential first aid for working elephants, preventative healthcare, and conducting neutering clinics for stray animal populations. These grassroots efforts laid the foundation for what would become a long-term commitment to strengthen animal welfare through collaborative approaches that empower, rather than criticise.
In 2022, we supported our partners in establishing the a community-based elephant retirement initiative within a Karen hill tribe village. Through an alternative livelihood program, we helped elephant owners and mahouts remain in their community while allowing their elephants to roam naturally in the surrounding forest. This model ensured both ethical elephant care and a stable income for the families who have long depended on these animals. We were able to provide English lessons to local children, further supporting the community’s long-term opportunities.
By 2024 and 2025, with help of our incredible donors we were able to able to retire 2 deserving elephant permanently to the project.
Isara Elephant Foundation continues to support these elephants, who have spent their lives working in entertainment, and other displaced animals, being cared for by our partners in Chiang Mai. We hope in the future we can bring freedom to more elephants in need.
