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Elephants and Tourism Struggle with Coronavirus
Just as the pandemic was beginning in February, my husband and I traveled to Laos and Cambodia. It seems like a lifetime ago now when there was so much uncertainty. As we talked to local drivers and tour guides, they talked about this potential threat. As a driver took us to the airport through the teeming streets of Siem Reap, Cambodia, to the outskirts where it seemed the hotels just stopped, he spoke about what it could do to his livelihood if tourism was affected.
A few weeks ago I saw an article on the elephants in Thailand returning to their homes from tourist camps with no visitors. Without tourists, the locals are suffering and do not have the money to pay for the land, the food, and the salaries of those who work there.
Elephants Brought us to Laos
We visited one such elephant camps in Laos. It was one of the reasons we visited the region. They are a vital — and tricky — part of the culture of Thailand and Laos, once known as Land of a Million Elephants or Lan Xang. There are only about 800 Asian elephants left. About half live in the wild and half are kept by humans. Some are used for logging and others are used for…
