#mondulkiriproject

| Treck dans la province du Mondulkiri part I.

We would like to introduce you to one of our new elephants. Mr Tree has named her 'Happy'.

Happy was born in the hill tribe village of 'Oriang'. She has spent the past ten years in the gold mining town of 'Memong'. She is around 55 years old.

All her life she has worked carrying heavy logs and farming goods and has also been used for transport when her owners have been hunting. She has no hair on her tail because it was cut off to make a bracelet to be sold for money.

Last week the Mondulkiri Project was approached by a local Bunong man who owns 2 elephants.  These elephants had spent their lives in the nearby villages of Oriang and Memong.  They were used to carry heavy logs, for transportation and for hunting in the forest.

This owner asked Mr Tree if his elephants could live at the Mondulkiri Project because he needed money.  Mr Tree immediately agreed to rent these two elephants with plans to buy them in the future.  Had he not acquired these elephants they would have been sold to an agent working for the elephant riding companies at Angkor Wat in Siem Reap.

This photo shows our Bunong mahouts holding a ceremony at the sanctuary to welcome the two new elephants and to wish them a long and happy life with us.