Elephants in Northern Thailand are enjoying a new trend in treats: custom-made celebration cakes adorned with messages that acknowledge special milestones such as birthdays and anniversaries, making them a thoughtful gift for people looking to make a much-appreciated contribution to elephant conservation, and, at the same time, supporting local farmers who are undergoing an epic struggle to survive.
The cakes, purchased by sponsors from all over the world, come in several sizes. They contain a mixture of leafy bamboo, fruit and nutritious fortified rice meal and are presented to small groups of elephants at Thailand’s famous Elephant Nature Park (ENP). To provide a precious memento, the whole event is filmed by Park staff and the footage sent to the donor.
“This has been the toughest year ever,”says Saengduean Lek Chailert, the pioneering founder of both ENP and Save Elephant foundation. “Normally, the funds to feed and care for our animals come from our daily visitors’ admission fees. Now, without that income, with around 100 elephants to feed and hundreds of other animals,plus our staff and their families, we need to think of new ways to support them. The cakes are a great way for us to earn some much-needed revenue. And of course, they contribute to local farmers in the area as we use their produce to create them.”
The organization behind the initiative is Gentle Giants, a USA-based non-profit which promotes the personalized cakes as a novel, eco-friendly way to honour special anniversaries of loved ones. 100% of the money received for the cakes goes to Elephant Nature Park, cakes are different in sizes, shapes and rates: size M THB 600 for 1 elephant; size L THB 1,000 for 2 elephants, size XL THB 1,500 for the herd.
Full details of the different sizes and prices of the cakes can be found at :
https://thegentlegiants.org/ele-celebration-cakes
Thai residents and expats, can also contact by phone at 053-272 855.
Surprise your loved one, friends or family, by sharing your special occasion with the elephants at Elephant Nature Park!
