In Their Footsteps

As a result of COVID-19 all elephant-related businesses in Thailand were closed. While that did give some working elephants a moment of respite, without tourism, it also put over 1000 elephants at risk of starving to death.

By May 2020 the lack of funds forced more than 100 elephants and their owners to march nearly 100 miles to their homes. But without work, how could an elephant or its owner and family eat?

Save Elephant Foundation (SEF), led by its founder Lek Chailert, immediately stepped in to provide help to as many elephants as possible across Thailand. SEF launched a number of projects dedicated to providing support, including an elephant food bank, a farm to herd campaign and elephant foster programs. The positive ripple effect of these projects continues to be felt today, in 2024.

To raise money to support these efforts, and inspired by the elephants who had trekked 100 miles, we created a fundraising walk. In July 2020, over a four-day weekend, Esther walked 100 miles around London in 10-mile loops. The loops symbolised the monotony elephants in riding camps are forced to endure as they repeatedly tread the same paths with tourists on their back. David kept Esther fed and watered, managed the fund-raising campaign and tended to her feet when toenails started falling off!

Thanks to a herd of 48 generous people, we raised £2,764.00 in four days in July 2020. We have since repeated this sponsored walk and intend to make it an annual event once Act Big Live Small has a bank account and charitable status.

All money raised goes to specific SEF projects. For example, in 2020 the £2,764.00 went towards the rescue of seven elephants who were at risk of starvation due to the pandemic shutting down all tourism-related activity. They now all live happily at Elephant Nature Park, SEF’s flagship project.