In 2022, Dikshya Rijal decided to work to stop elephant back safari in Sauraha. Her parents were in the business of providing elephant back safari which they had started 16 years ago. Raised in the close proximity to elephants, she decided to oppose her family first and raise awareness on humane treatment of elephants. She says, “Elephants deserve to be treated with respect, not shackled and ridden to death.”
Dikshya, a 24-year-old, then decided to found the Elephant Care Sanctuary where she focuses on ethical practices while providing tourists with a more interactive experience that imposes far less of a burden on the elephants.
‘Walk with Elephants’ is one of their alternative programmes which is now gaining a lot of attention from visitors. She has nine elephants in the sanctuary, Sitakali being the youngest one at 1.5 months old.
In a conversation with WOW’s Ankita Jain, Dikshya talks about her journey to convince her parents to change their business practice and outlook, her love for elephants and more. Excerpts:
Your family used to run elephant back safaris, tell us about that…
Both my parents spent most of their childhood and lives in the heart of Chitwan, Sauraha, which is a popular tourism sector. Recognising its potential, they started elephant safaris approximately 16 years ago with just one elephant. My father has a deep passion for animals, he loves being around them. Over time, as the business flourished, they acquired more elephants, and now we look after a total of nine elephants out of which three were born in our camp.
What got you into ethical side of this business?
Our journey to ethical elephant care began with a deep connection to these amazing creatures. Growing up around elephants, they were more like family than just animals. As we got older, we started to realise and understand the problems with elephant rides. My father felt guilty about it and shared his concerns with us. It didn’t hit me until later, but I started feeling bad too. Then, one day, a child refused to ride an elephant, and it made me rethink everything. I realised that forcing elephants to give rides was wrong. I did some research and found out how harmful it is for elephants. Learning more made me want to make a change. So, we decided to stop exploiting elephants and instead take care of them ethically.
Another big moment was visiting Thailand. We saw how happy elephants were in sanctuaries there compared to the ones in Nepal. It inspired me to create a sanctuary here too, where elephants can be happy and visitors can learn about them without causing harm. Now, Elephant Care Nepal is our way of giving back to these amazing animals and our community. We are dedicated to making sure elephants are treated with love and respect.
Could you share details of the ethical practices you follow in your sanctuary?
Chain-Free Environment: We provide spacious enclosures where elephants can roam freely without restraint, allowing them to engage in natural behaviours.
Positive Training: We don’t separate elephant babies from their mother before they reach the age of training. They learn with the help of their mothers living in a herd and I think this is the first place in Nepal to do so.
Natural Environment: We have placed our sanctuary close to the forest so elephants can easily walk to areas where they can graze, play in the river, and enjoy a peaceful atmosphere surrounded by trees that resemble their wild habitat.
Forest Access: We get permits for our elephants, whether they are used for rides or not, to enter forested areas for grazing. This ensures they have plenty of natural food to eat which is good for their health and happiness.
Careful Feeding: We plant grass and bananas that elephants love, but we are careful to avoid foods that might make them sick. For example, we know that Champakali, one of our elephants, shouldn’t eat bananas because it upsets her stomach and her legs.
Enrichment Activities: We offer a variety of mental and physical stimulation for our elephants, including social interaction, play, and puzzles that encourage natural behaviours.
Ethical Tourism: We offer ethical programmes like walking besides elephants rather than going on a ride with them; observing them in their natural habitats and interacting with them.
Veterinary Care: We prioritise the health and wellbeing of our elephants through regular veterinary check-ups, vaccinations, deworming, dental care, and prompt treatment for any illnesses or injuries.
Responsible Tourism Practices: We advocate for responsible and ethical tourism practices to minimise stress and disturbance to our elephants, including limiting visitor numbers and promoting respectful interactions.
Community Engagement: We engage with our local community to raise awareness about elephant conservation and need for transition to ethical welfare trips and promote sustainable living practices through educational programmes.
How did you convince your father to stop elephant back rides?
Convincing my father to change his mind about the need for ethical practices wasn’t difficult because it was something he had always desired. However, the real challenge lay in convincing him about the feasibility of such a transition in Nepal; making him believe we could do it here in Nepal was tough. At first, he tried it on his own but faced problems. I think it’s because people didn’t really get what he was trying to do.
Initially, my dad didn’t say no but he felt obligated to continue elephant rides because of his responsibility towards the elephants, their caretakers, and our family.
Ethical tourism activities, such as “Walk with Elephants” programme and hosting volunteers serve as valuable alternative sources of income for us. These initiatives not only help us generate revenue but also enable us to engage with people who share our values. Ultimately, these efforts contribute to our goal of promoting ethical interactions with elephants and supporting their well-being.
There are nine elephants in your sanctuary, how challenging is it to raise them?
Raising nine elephants in our sanctuary is a complex task that comes with various challenges. Each elephant, regardless of age or gender, has specific needs that must be met to ensure their wellbeing. From providing adequate food, shelter and medical care to managing their social interactions within the herd, there are numerous responsibilities to consider.
One of the significant challenges is maintaining a harmonious social dynamic within the herd. Elephants are highly social animals, and ensuring that they coexist peacefully requires constant attention and management. Additionally, managing the diverse age groups within the herd, including adult males, females and babies, adds another layer of complexity.
Hiring the right caretakers who understand the individual needs of each elephant is crucial. These caretakers play a vital role in ensuring the happiness and wellbeing of our elephants. Providing them with proper training and support is essential for effectively managing the elephants’ daily routines and interactions. Also, managing the number of caretakers (two for each elephant) is quite a challenging task.
Another challenge we face is not owning enough land for our nine elephants to live chain-free. Currently, we rent land on contract basis which is renewed annually. This limits our ability to build proper shelters for the elephants. This situation adds to our motivation to find a more permanent solution and ensure our elephants have the space and facilities they need to live comfortably and freely.
Overall, while raising nine elephants present its challenges, we are dedicated to providing them with the best possible care. Our commitment to their welfare and happiness drives us to navigate these challenges and ensure that they thrive in our sanctuary.
What is the monthly expense of raising the elephants?
In addition to the monthly expenses associated with caring for elephants, which can range from several hundred to several thousand dollars per elephant, we estimate our monthly costs to be around Rs 190,000 per elephant. This covers essential needs such as food, water and grass, and veterinary care as well as caretaker salaries, bonuses, festivity expenses, etc. Additionally, we have other expenses like land rent, interest payments on loans, shelter maintenance, and other miscellaneous costs.
To manage these expenses, we rely on revenue from elephant rides, some ethical elephant tourism activities and occasional loans. However, we also receive support from volunteering programmes and ethical initiatives. These programmes provide assistance in caring for our elephants and raise awareness about ethical elephant tourism and conservation efforts. While ethical tourism practices contribute to our income, their impact is not as significant as other revenue streams may be due to lack of awareness about ethical tourism practices in Nepal.
What differences do you notice among elephants who are now chain free today in your sanctuary?
After implementing our chain-free policy, a noticeable difference among the elephants in our sanctuary is their reduced desire to roam away into the jungle. Previously, when chained, they often showed behaviours suggesting a desire to roam freely, attempting to escape their enclosures to explore the surrounding jungle areas. However, with the removal of chains, we have observed a significant decrease in such escape attempts. Freed from the physical and psychological constraints of chains, the elephants now feel more secure and content within their sanctuary environment. They no longer feel the need to seek refuge or stimulation outside of their designated living space.
You shared that four of the elephants are still used to provide back rides for safaris. Will they soon be freed?
We are actively working towards transitioning all our elephants to a chain-free and ride-free environment. While four elephants are still used for safaris, our ultimate goal is to provide freedom to all of them. However, achieving this transition requires careful planning, resources, and support. We are committed to making it happen as soon as possible, but we also understand that change takes time. However, we are dedicated to ensuring the well-being and freedom of all our elephants in due course.
To achieve this, we need to raise awareness about ethical elephant tourism and how it can benefit the elephants. By educating people about the importance of ethical practices and their role in supporting elephant welfare, we can gather the necessary support to rescue and care for more elephants. Once we have the resources and support in place, we can continue our mission to provide freedom and a better life for all the elephants under our care.
What is the status of elephants in captivity and commercial use in Chitwan?
Chitwan is home to around a hundred elephants, categorised into wild, captive-government, and captive-private groups. These elephants are integral to the region’s tourism, especially in Sauraha, known for its popular elephant jungle safaris into the Chitwan National Park. The estimated total number of elephants in Nepal is between 255 and 265, with approximately 150 of them being captive Asian Elephants.
Captive elephants in Nepal have a long history, involving their use in battles and hunting. Since 1978, the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation has managed the captive elephants. To meet demands for patrolling, park management, wildlife monitoring and elephant population control, an elephant breeding center was set up in Chitwan National Park in 1986.
Presently, Nepal has 208 captive elephants, including 94 government-owned ones used for patrolling and research in protected areas like Chitwan National Park. Private elephants, mainly used for tourism, are also common in the region.
The status of captive elephants in Chitwan reflects a mix of tradition, conservation, and welfare considerations. Efforts continue to ensure their wellbeing and sustainability, highlighting the importance of balancing their roles in tourism and conservation.
What inspires you to do what you do?
Growing up surrounded by elephants in Sauraha was my daily life. I often saw them walking on the roads, heading for their long day of work. At first, I didn’t understand the pain they might be feeling. But as I grew older, I couldn’t shake off the feeling that something wasn’t right.
Our first elephant, Ramu Gaj is my greatest inspiration. We had to chain him for seven years because he could be aggressive, and we don’t have enough money to build him a better shelter. Seeing him chained up every day pushed me to find ways to help him and other elephants like him live happier lives.
Seeing elephants being trained harshly makes me sad, and I knew I had to do something. Our goal at our camp was to be kind to our elephants, especially the babies. It was tough to watch them obey out of fear, even though they were so strong. Seeing them chained up day and night didn’t seem right.
But when my dad started a new initiative to free the elephants from chains, I felt hopeful. I learnt that there were better ways to take care of them and other ways for people to enjoy elephants without making them suffer.
A trip to Thailand showed me that change was possible. The elephants I saw there were happy and free. My dad’s determination and the work of people like Lek inspired me to keep going.
What keeps me going every day is the love I receive from the elephants, and the fun we have together when they are free. They remind me why I am fighting for them and why it’s so important to treat them with kindness and respect. Seeing elephants being loaded with hauda and heading off for work is something that truly wrenches my heart. Being a voice for the voiceless inspires me to do what I do every day.
Tell us more about your connection with the elephants in the sanctuary?
I have a strong emotional bond with the elephants in the sanctuary. Spending time with them every day has allowed me to connect deeply with these amazing creatures. They are more than just animals to me; they each have their own personalities and feelings.
When I interact with them – whether it’s feeding them, giving them a bath, or just being around them – it brings me a lot of happiness. They are really smart and can show trust, love and even playfulness. I can spend my entire day just watching them, especially the newborn babies. Time flies when I am with them.
The most magical moments I have at our camp are playing with Rajkumar, Baby Shuvalaxmi, and Sitakali. They were all born here, and I have seen them grow from day one. Sitakali holds a special place in my heart. Her name was inspired by my late aunt, who passed away just before Sitakali was born. Maybe that’s why we share such a strong bond. She’s also quite mischievous; whenever I am near, she checks all my pockets to see if I have something for her.
Every evening, I play with Rajkumar. His playful nature never fails to bring a smile to my face. And Baby Shuvalaxmi, just a month old, is already eager to play and show affection. She pushes me like she wants to play, and it’s the sweetest thing.
I share a strong bond with our very first elephant, Ramu Gaj. Despite his aggressive behaviour, which unfortunately led us to chain him due to safety concerns and lack of funds for a chain-free shelter, our connection remains deep. We have been together for 16 years now. Every day, Ramu used to come to our house and patiently wait for food when he returned from work. It’s heart-wrenching to see him chained up every time, knowing how much he is waiting for freedom. Despite the challenges, our bond is unbreakable, and I am committed to finding ways to improve his quality of life and ensure his happiness.
I share a special connection with all the elephants, but Sitakali and the other two babies are just extraordinary. They bring so much joy and love into my life.
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