The Asian Elephant Programme
Donate to our current campaign, seeking to raise £3,000 to help equip the new Elephant Medical Facility at Elephant Nature Park in Thailand
Conservation. Community. Coexistence
The mission of our Asian Elephant Programme is to advance the conservation of Asian elephants and help the communities that surround them by supporting our charity partner, Save Elephant Foundation, while increasing awareness of Asian elephant issue and encouraging sustainable decision-making via our own advocacy.
Act Big Live Small’s Asian Elephant Programme focuses on two key initiatives: (1) Fundraising for our partner, Save Elephant Foundation, to support their work on the ground in Southeast Asia offering care for captive elephants, and (2) advocacy and education to ensure people have the information to make sustainable decisions about engaging in elephant tourism and can also limit their impact on Asian elephants in wild
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We lead campaigns to raise funds for our partner, the Save Elephant Foundation (SEF) - a registered Thai non-profit - to support their work protecting, rescuing and rehabilitating Asian elephants. 100% of public donations made to the Asian Elephant Programme are legally restricted to the Programme. All Trust overheads and our Endowment grant are funded entirely by our own private investments.
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Demonstrate both the vulnerable position of Asian elephants in captivity and the wild, and the decisions we can take that have a more positive impact on their wellbeing. We believe that who we choose to give our money to is a powerful form of everyday activism.
Highlight the abuse and exploitation many captive Asian elephants endure, and help tourists make good decisions about engaging with elephants and their communities in ethical and sustainable ways
Educating consumers on decisions contributing to habitat destruction, the biggest challenge for Asian elephant conservation - read more about Asian elephant conservation.
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Save Elephant Foundation (SEF) is a Thai non–profit organisation founded by the world-reknowned conservationist Saengduean ‘Lek’ Chailert and is the umbrella foundation for the various projects SEF supports, including Elephant Nature Park (ENP). SEF is dedicated to providing care and assistance to Thailand’s captive elephant population through a multifaceted approach involving rescue and rehabilitation programs, educational ecotourism, local community outreach, and environmental conservation programs.
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“Elephant Nature Park (ENP) is an elephant rescue and rehabilitation centre in Northern Thailand, founded by renowned elephant rights advocate, Saengduean ‘Lek’ Chailert. It is the first ethical elephant sanctuary of its kind established in Asia and currently provides a caring home to over 100 elephants. Many of the elephants living in the sanctuary of Elephant Nature Park have been rescued by Save Elephant Foundation from street begging, elephant riding, and circus shows, where they often sustained both physical and psychological injuries. The park’s herds include blind, crippled, orphaned, and senior elephants who are now free to live a peaceful life in natural surroundings, where they are loved and respected”. elephantnaturepark.org
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Saengduean Chailert, known by her nickname ‘Lek’, is the founder of Save Elephant Foundation and Elephant Nature Park.
Lek has worked tirelessly to raise international awareness about the plight of both captive and wild Asian elephants, while building an organisation that has rescued and cared for hundreds of elephants and thousands of other animals at risk. She lives on the frontline of elephant conservation in Asia.
Lek was awarded the Legion d’Honneur by President Macron of France. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton recognized Lek as one of six ‘Women Heroes of Global Conservationand’, and she was one of TIME Magazine’s ‘Heroes of Asia”. More about Lek (click here)
Articles
‘Meet the woman who's saving Asia's elephants '– Reader’s Digest, 17 August 2023
‘Ten female conservationists who have changed our relationship with nature’– BBC Wildlife, 4 May 2024.
Previous campaigns
100-mile walk
During COVID, over 100 working elephants and their owners walked nearly 100 miles home when business shut. SEF stepped in to help with a food bank and other resources to help these elephants and their owners survive. Esther raised £2,764 by walking 100-miles around London in 4 days, which went towards the care of 7 elephants rescued during the pandemic when they were facing starvation.
Eat for Elephants Cookbook
Act Big Live Small produced a digital cookbook of 40 plant-based recipes as part of a campaign to encourage and reward ‘micro-donations’. £2,220 was raised for SEF, with almost 450 downloads of the cookbook.
We will be producing a new cookbook in 2026 - we’ll let you know when it’s available!