Elephant Camp Assessments

 

A team of specialized professionals has been assessing elephant camps in Thailand since the beginning of 2024. This initiative was supported by international OTA and regional Tour Operators. 

Since this work started, more than 20 camps have been assessed, following international standards created by Asian Captive Elephant Standards. 

Content of the assessment:
The assessment takes one full day and is based on:

1. Availability of Key Staff
• The Management team
• The Welfare Coordinator (if applicable)
• The Chef Mahout
• The Veterinary staff

2. Full Access
• Elephant sleeping areas
• Food and dung storage
• Mahout accommodation (if on-site)
• Medicine storage, garbage areas, water supply, etc.

3. Documentation
• Business documents: Licenses, insurance, etc.
• Staff documents: Employee list, contracts, insurance, etc.
• Mahout documents: Contracts, disciplinary records, insurance, health records, training records, etc.
• Elephant documents: Pink books, veterinary logbooks, profiles, lease contracts (if applicable), etc.
• Operations documents: Safety protocols, activity descriptions, annual reports, etc.

4. Observation of Daily Activities
We observe activities involving customers to understand daily operation. The assessment begins before activities start, including the elephants' preparations and guide safety speech.

Post-Assessment
After the assessment, the camp receives a detailed report, including areas for improvement. To pass, a minimum of 75% compliance is required in each section.

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Please find here the list of all the criteria.