All About Change - Lek Chailert - Rescuing Asian Elephants

Episode Date: August 7, 2023

Saengduean “Lek” Chailert was born and raised in Thailand, a place where Asian elephants are commonplace. After her secondary education, Lek started working in tourism, where she saw elephants endure horrific treatment—in circuses, riding parks, and other attractions most visitors to the country think of as benign.  It was then that Lek started rescuing elephants, many of them injured and elderly, and relocating them to what is now Elephant Nature Park. The sanctuary is now home to more than 100 Asian elephants rescued from captivity, and Lek has been recognized all over the world for her tireless work. Lek talks to Jay about the rampant exploitation of these animals within Thailand’s tourism industry, and how social media has helped in bringing animal abuse to the world’s attention. Photo Credit: Save Elephant FoundationSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I'm the tribe one. I come from the hill tribe and I stay in a deep jungle. The area that we have, it brings many people who bring elephants into our area and they cut the big giant tree to be the lock, the locking. Hi, I'm Jay Rudiman and welcome to All About Change, a podcast showcasing individuals who leverage the hardships that have been thrown at them to better other people's lives. This is all wrong. I say put mental health first because if you don't... This generation of America has already had enough.

I stand before you not as an expert, but as a concerned citizen. Yes, we can! Yes, we can! Yes, we can! Not as an expert, but as a concerned citizen. This week on All About Change, we welcome Lek Chyler, an animal rights activist who's often been described as an elephant whisperer. For decades, Lek has worked with governments and local communities in her native Thailand, serving as a voice for this majestic animal. Throughout her life, Lek has seen these animals endure cruel and often abusive conditions.

I heard all the time, you know, the screaming of elephants in the jungle. Her experiences shaped her love and compassion for elephants. I spoke with Lek about her work and the challenges she's faced along the way. Just a note, some of today's episode contains graphic descriptions of animal cruelty. Okay, so Leck Chylert, thank you so much for being my guest on All About Change. I'm really excited to speak to you, and thank you for being with us today Thank you Jay to have me here in your program And I understand right now you are on the border of Thailand and Cambodia I am here in the eastern of Thailand

along Thailand and Cambodia border where is elephant and human conflict We have in this area they have about 600 elephants in this area. Every year, the number of the elephant get killed in this area. So that's why one of the reason I am here today. And how many wild elephants are there in Southeast Asia? For Southeast Asia altogether, I mean all the Asian elephants,

wild elephants, is about 50,000 live. And it's really risky and it's critical on that because of the Asian elephant population is they turn declines every year because of the problem of the land, the lost habitat. The people take the land from them, especially for their homeland. And the area that I am here today, I do right now, because I can't do it alone. I do right now, because I can't do it alone.

I have to do that is to come to work with the local community, local government, speak for the people and bring the government from the center of Thailand to come and understand about what the people need here. Today is the people take the land from the elephant and they start to use the land for a plantation. So what we do right now that we have to bring the job to them and we have to start to bring more income to them. You know, Lek, I've heard you talk about the elephant as being the most majestic creature on the face of the planet. Can you talk about your first experience with an elephant

and how you got into the job of being an activist in saving elephants? Okay. Myself, I'm the tribe one. I come from the hill tribe and I stay in a deep jungle. And where the area that is our village stay, we have many like a big giant tree. So when we stay among the jungle and the area that we have, they cut the big giant tree to be the locking. And in that time, I heard all the time, you know,

the screaming of elephants in the jungle during the time they work. And we heard about the chase. We heard the angry of the man that is yelling and shout. But in the same time, we heard elephants screaming. We're not allowed to go to the jungle to see what's happening over there. I keep asking my father, my grandfather, what was going on in there, why elephants were very angry. And my grandfather just said,

the people forced elephants to pull the log, pull the timber. So that is, I can't imagine anything until when I become a teenage. I worked as a volunteer. I follow the missionary into the jungle and to visit the tribune and also to help them to translate

from the tribune language to the English. So when I was there and I heard the screaming exactly the same that is the elephant work in our village. So I up the screaming exactly the same. That is the elephant work in that village, in our village. So I asked the headman if they could show me where the noise come from. So the headman of the village take me up to the creek and then suddenly I see the bull elephant

or really not looking well at all, skinny. The size of the timber is almost the same size of elephant. So he moved me up to stay in front of the elephant, which is I can see that every time when elephant start to pull the log, I heard the screaming. And he tried very hard to try to pull that giant lock to the steep hill. Every five inches after he moved the lock,

he got a painful because three mahouts who controlled him, one on the top of that elephant's neck, jabbed the knife into his head. The behind in the leg, one of the keepers start to jab with a spike in the back leg, and one in front slingshot his face over and over. So these elephants get very angry, and then he tried very hard to get out of the pain, angry, and then he tried very hard to get out of the pain, but the more he pulled, the more they forced him and abused him. And when he stopped, he looked at me, and then he started to pull on his power again and screaming. And when I saw the man jab the knife on his head, I was screaming myself because I wanted to stop it. During that time, I don't know between

me or the elephant who was screaming the most because I'm really upset to see that. And I keep screaming and then they removed me out from there. I remember that eyes, that eyes and that noise touched my heart. I can see the eyes of angry, the eyes of painful, hopeless, confused, and everything, you know, come from that eye. You know, I came home with that noise and that eye follow me like a shadow. So I decided to work and bring the money to buy the medicine, and I went back to the area again.

I brought like a full rucksack. The medicine is not enough for the boy. I can see that his eye, his mouth and everything. Then the keeper said, more elephants sick in that village, more sick to the other village. They gave me a location and I walked deeper in the jungle. The more I walk into the jungle, the more I see the suffering. I witnessed old elephants, sick elephants, and they told me when the elephants falling down died. So, Leck, that's a very traumatic story about your introduction to the suffering of elephants.

I understand that your family was also involved with working with elephants. So when you took the position of wanting to save elephants, what did that do to your relationship with your family? When I leave for my home, I'm the first woman in the village who come to a university because most of the tribe, they don't allow

the women to go to school. So my mother asked me to be like a government official because the people in the village, they dream for the family to be the government official because we get a lot of things also, you know, like the racist from the government. So I promised my mother that when I graduate, I will work as maybe to be a nurse, to be a doctor. But I changed my mind when I see the elephant. And I think that this is I want to work for them and I want to voice for them. And I can't turn my back on them. And I want to voice for them.

And I can't turn my back on them. My sister, brother, they do the elephant circus. I tried already. I want them to change. They don't agree. And yes, they don't want to talk to me. So I'm so sorry for the loss of the connection that you have had with your family. Sorry for the loss of the connection that you have had with your family, but you've saved hundreds and hundreds of elephants in your country.

Can you tell us, in addition to logging, how else are elephants abused in your country? Many people come to Thailand and they want to have experience to ride elephants. They want to buy the elephant painting. They want to see elephant. They want to buy the elephant painting. They want to see elephant circus because it's in many country. You maybe can't find that, but you still can

see many in Thailand. But what is behind the scene? First of all, they will take, they would separate the baby from the mother. This is the worst part. Elephants, they socialize like a family. They stay as the herd.

So when they take the mother elephant separate from the baby, the baby fear and confuse. Many of them, when during the training, they died during the training class, but no one speak about this. But before, you know, to train elephant to use for the rocking, it might take a few command, like to lift the leg, to stop, to move forward. It's just maximum eight command. But to train elephant to work, to serve people, they non-stop train. After they train the baby elephant, they make sure that the elephant afraid and obey to people because they have to come to serve it to people, to do whatever people want. And it's a lot of things that people have no idea about. And as well, in the tourist industry,

they bring so many baby elephants to come to serve people. Many people come to Southeast Asia, and sometimes the keeper will tell the tourists, these elephants are the orphanage. But the tourists, these elephants are the orphanage. But the fact is they're not orphanage. And some tourists not even get no idea and not even question, but they enjoy to take a picture or selfie with the baby elephant. And when they start to show it in social media,

more and more people want to do the same. What type of torture does an elephant have to endure in order to get to that condition? So it's not easy at all. And so we talk about

bullhook. When they start to train elephant, they have to not just only bullhook, they use knife, they use nail, they use spike,

they use rope, they use plenty for the first seven, they use rope. They use plenty. For the first seven days, they tied elephant everywhere. And the more they fight, the more the leg will cut deeper by the rope. And then the baby elephant have to learn, if they're screaming for the mother, they will poke with some spike. And also, they will jab the baby with the nail wax. They make very sharp. This is very sad. And I witnessed so many times and I have been

in some area when they train, they don't care because they outlaw. They allow me to see that and we can't do anything because we have no law. So I only take a picture because I want the world to see about that. But when I start to show that I get punished by the authority and also I get sued plenty. I get enough bully by this as well when I start to speak out. So what have you endured in terms of, because you're challenging a large part of the economy and a large part of society in Thailand

that's using the elephant for different purposes. Have you been arrested? Have you been threatened? As an advocate who's standing up for the survival of the Asian elephant, what have you personally endured? One time, I went to transport the banana for elephant, and I get chased by the motorcycle. And first, we drive fast as we can because we didn't know.

And suddenly, that man on the motorcycle used a gun and knocked out a window and told us to stop. So when we stopped and we asked, who are you? They said, our police, but they have no uniform. So we can't stop the car in the middle of jungle. So we decided to drop the car and let them chase us until to the to the bc street so after that they stopped us and we are now we allow them to to talk to us and i asked what's going on here and then they said we want to search your car and of course you know they said get out the car and then the police call or my driver out and he said, come here,

I want to charge you for driving with no seatbelt. And we said, we put a seatbelt and the police said, we didn't see you put a seatbelt now, isn't it? So, and then they start to give us the bill. And then the police talk to my driver, tell to your boss, don't try to be a big mouth to speak bad about country. And I know already, you know, I had to get the order. And I get a lot of trouble for life, for the animal rights in the country where we have very weak of animal law and no have animal rights. Sometimes I feel that I speak like my language is like an alien language and it's difficult to stand up and challenge.

But I won't give up on that. I will speak until that my voice can hear on behalf of the animals here. So, Lec, what do you think the role of circuses, elephants in circuses? A lot of people attend circuses around the world, and they see elephants, and they're performing tricks. What is your attitude towards the use of elephants in circuses, and what should people be doing in order to protect elephants? You know, in my opinion, the circus in century 21, they shouldn't have anymore.

This is very old-fashioned. Our children shouldn't see this anymore. And the circus is always behind the scene. They toss elephants. The circus is always behind the scene. They toss elephant. No animal will have to walk out of the cage and suddenly stand up at dancing and performing. And especially you can see that stand up and let the people, let the people

stand on the trunk, stand up with the leg. And this is unnatural for them. One elephant named Lucky, she was the elephant who did the circus since she was one year old until she's 20 years old, both eyes blind from the light. And now, you know, she stay with us and we rescued her when she was 20. Now she's 35, like 15 years already. She stayed in the dump and people doesn't know when the people come and see, they maybe enjoy.

But who knows? And people think that it's normal. It's not normal at all. Elephants shouldn't be shown anything like that. They should let them free, let them enjoy with the river, let them enjoy with the mud bath. And elephants, they are the social life. They stay as the herd.

Let them be herd. Bring them to the family. They don't belonging to us. You are often called an elephant whisperer, and you can see the qualities of elephants. People often look at animals, and they don't think that they have feelings and emotions. Can you tell me what it's like for you to connect with an elephant?

Okay, Jay, anyone can be the elephant whisperer. The only thing that is, you know, when you see elephant as a life, you see elephant as the people. Everyone can understand them. If they stand on the rock and under their feet have the rock stuck in the feet, I know right away because they walk to me and they start to use the trunk point and then I will tell them, okay, lift your feet. Then I see over there and then to treat them, sometimes I talk to the vet who stay at our project when

they want to draw the blood. And elephant doesn't want them, elephant afraid of the vet. I said to them, look, start to come and speak, speak very nice to them. They like the children. So calm them down and let them know this is real go to help. And somehow when the start to draw the blood, I have to be between their leg to comfort them like my baby and to let them know that everything will be okay. Between human and animal, we have only one wall. If we broken that wall, then we will understand to each other. It don't need a special skill, but need heart to be that.

And I, you know, my husband, after he finished the work for me from Canada and then he came stay with me now. And he spent a lot of time with Elephant and now Elephant totally in love with him. And now elephant totally in love with him. And they trust him and they love him. So I think anyone can communicate with elephant if we really open our heart. So you started the Elephant Nature Park.

Can you tell us a little bit about what it is and how many elephants you've been able to bring to the park to date? bit about what it is and how many elephants you've been able to bring to the park to date? You know, the elephant park start from after I graduated and then I start to have a job and save money. And then I know from the first impression I met that bull elephant, I not give up. So I save the money. I went back. I want to rescue him. And at that time, so I saved the money. I went back. I wanted to rescue him. And at that time, I did not have land.

I did not have, you know, I just wanted to bring him to stay behind my backyard of the house. So I went back to the village. And then I found that I went there too late because the bull passed away. So I did not come back with empty hands so I start to walk more and to search for the other elephant and I found one old elephant and they told me she

is 90 years old. At that time I believed them because she's so skinny and look old. So I brought her and then I take her to stay with my friend project. And which is I asked him if he could start elephant sanctuary. So this man, he invest the money to put elephant sanctuary.

But when he start the project and he can see that his sanctuary next to the elephant riding camp. his sanctuary next to the elephant riding camp and he said he want to cross the sanctuary and he want to uh he want to open elephant riding and he want to beg money too so i beg him i said well what do you really want he said he want to stop elephant show and circus i said no no no don't do it so i asked the man please allow me i want to said, okay, we can make the show, but not really a full show. So I start to take elephant to walk and start to explain to people about the elephant by talk about how heavy of elephant, where this elephant come from, the biography of the elephant and start to tell the story. of the elephant and start to tell the story. But for his competition, for his business and the other camp, they start to get conflict. The man get gunshot after that, you know, and after he get that, the injuries, stay in the hospital and his family said, no, they don't want to do anymore. So I have to fight the land to stay. But the land that we stay, I stay in before I

lease the land from the government. But the land we have right now, we have donated money from Bird One Road Murder Band from Austin, Texas, who donated the money to me to buy land. Bring and we start Elephant Nature Park with nine elephants from start in 2003. We start to the place we are staying now. So, Lek, how many elephants do you have currently in the Elephant Nature Park? We have at the moment 119. Next week will be 123 because we rescued four more. Wow. So you're doing great work at saving elephants who have been injured and elephants in need.

I've seen a wonderful film that features you called Love and Bananas, an elephant story. that features you called Love and Bananas, an elephant story. And there are many times when you're sitting directly underneath a three-ton elephant. How are you able to have that connection with an elephant and not be afraid that the elephant is going to crush you? I tell you, I feel safe to stay under the roof more than I walk along the street side because when I sit there, I feel safe to stay under their roof. Or then I walk along the street side

because when I sit there, I feel peaceful. I feel protection. They will never do harm to me because even they move their feet, they be careful every step. And sometimes during the midday, the lunchtime, I will spend my time to sit there and they will have a trunk to touch me all the time.

And I go, okay, mommy, you are there. Are you still okay? And they would check me all the time, and sometimes one elephant would come and grab me out, pull me out from under from the other one to be under them. And they have behavior like a human. The jealousy sometimes when I stay with this, they will pull me.

They fight to help me under them. I completely feel safe under them. It's amazing to see your connection to the elephants. Lek, how do you think that you've changed attitudes in your country towards elephants based on your activism? If I talk like 15 years ago, it's very difficult. When I start to invite many of the camp owners, we have about 300 camps before COVID.

And many people that is there really enjoy to make money from elephant riding and circus because we have a lot of Chinese tourists to come sometime, like a million, million people a year to come to use elephant circuit. And when I start to talk to them, they laugh.

And I've invited so many people to change their way from writing and elephant circus to be the ethical program or to do more human business. And many of them just said no. They don't care

for that because they can make money from writing a circus. They feel secure on that. So it's very difficult when we start to talk to them and they don't change. So we create a volunteer program and we have the people who come from around the world to work with us and I educate the people from that point. And from these people, they become our elephant ambassadors. When they know better, they do better.

they become our elephant ambassadors. When they know better, they do better. So the inspiration from what they have learned from Elephant Nature Park drives these people to go around the world to go back to their home. They start to help us to educate. They start to campaign to the, like the guidebook,

they start to campaign the travel agency. So when the people start to get educated and they start to show about the training class, so many travel agencies start to announce that they don't support the elephant show circus. And you know, when the market outside start to say no, Then the business came in Thailand. And if you come to Thailand right now, compared to 15 years ago, you will see the poster everywhere. They call about elephant sanctuary, elephant retirement, elephant conservation, no shade, no hook, no show, no writing. And most business start to advertising because it's following the work we have, you know, educated for over decades

is have changed the market. And especially I have the hope of the young generation that who can help us to voice for Elephant and the attitude of the people now start to change. Well, Lek, that's a huge accomplishment. Just to end with, for our listeners, what can they do to help? How can they get involved to save Asian elephants? I always tell people, education is a big impact.

I always tell people, education is a big impact. We can't blame the people if they come to ride the elephant or they have to go and see the animal show because the people didn't know. But if the people know, they won't do it. So I think we have to educate the others who didn't know that. And now everyone that can help us to voice for the elephant, we have the most powerful tool in our hand, it's the social media. And animals can have that,

so we can create that to help to educate people. Share to your Facebook, your Twitter, Instagram, and then educate others. And for social media, it really can help us for a big change and can speak a thousand words for the animals. And as well, there are so many people who don't know they lost their way. We cannot insult them. We have to be gentle and give them the point and guide them to the right way. And I would like also to talk to many animal rights. So animal rights people always talk that they love animals, but they hate people. And I think that is maybe we have to change our way to work

we cannot we cannot use word hate because if we love animals we have to work with people as well we have to care to people who doesn't know and we have to work with work with love and care and bring them to understand us. And we cannot push them away. And this is the only way that we can help the animals and speak to them when they don't know that. I think this is the only best way we can do right now. Well, Leck, thank you so much for being my guest on All About Change.

I really admire your dedication and the devotion that you've given your whole life to saving the Asian elephant and improving our environment. So thank you so much. And I wish that you will go from strength to strength. Thank you so much. Thank you so much. When Lex speaks, you can hear so many things in her voice. She can be somber, but also hopeful and determined. Above all, you can sense how much respect and reverence she has for elephants.

These animals have long been subjected to cruelty and exploitation, and not just in Thailand. How can we change that? Tweet us at JRuderman and give us your take. Thank you for joining us today. Check back here in two weeks as I sit down with Jean Wiener, the environmental activist restoring coastlines in Haiti. Today's episode was produced by Kim Wong, with story editing by Yochai Meytal and Mijon Zulu.

To check out more episodes or learn more about the show, you can visit our website, allaboutchangepodcast.com. If you enjoy our show, please help us spread the word. Tell a friend or family member or leave us a review on your favorite podcasting app.

We would really appreciate it. All About Change is produced by the Ruderman Family Foundation. Special thanks to our production team at Pod People, David Zwick, Grace Pina, Morgan Foos, Brian Rivers, and Amy Machado. That's all for now. I'm Jay Ruderman, and we'll see you next time on All About Change. Or if I thought not goodbye