Elephant Valley

It is the goal of the Elephant Valley Project to ensure a safe location to treat sick, injured and harmed elephants. Also they inform about elephant care and provide elephant welfare and rehabilitation services. In addition this project protects an area of the forest from destruction to make sure that the Bunong people, elephants and other animals, living in the forest, have a save habitat for the future.

The Elephant Valley Project is situated about 12 kilometers (8 miles) from the town of Sen Monorom in Mondulkiri Province. Sen Monorom can be reached from Phnom Penh by public bus or private vehicle. Depending on the type of transport it takes between 5 to 10 hours. The Elephant Valley site consists of rented farms surrounded by farms and forest. This sanctuary allows the elephants live in an almost natural environment, where their mahouts can look after them and take care of the elephants.

Although, there is a small number of elephants in the wild in Cambodia, their population is under continual threat due to environmental destruction that is having a severe impact on their habitat. There are approximately 54 domestic elephants in Mondulkiri, roughly half of the Cambodian domestic elephant population. The elephants of Cambodia, both wild and captive, are massively threatened by loss of habitat. They are also threatened by a broad range of other factors like physical abuse and misuse as well as sale to neighboring provinces and countries.

Visitors can choose between different service options when visiting the Elephant Valley Project. First, they can spend a whole day with the elephants; learn more about these sweet-tempered animals, the local mahouts and the forest. Also it is possible to visit the Elephant Valley Project for a day and do dome volunteer work such as gardening and small building projects. Finally, guests can choose to stay overnight, either in a backpacker bungalow/hammock or luxurious self-contained bungalow.