The Ayutthaya Elephant Sanctuary and the Elephant Looping Corral

The Ayutthaya Elephant Sanctuary was established in 1961 with the backing of the Department of Fine Arts and the Tourism Authority of Thailand. It collaborates with the Phra Khajabal Foundation in an attempt to conserve the Thai elephant, to set up a standard system of elephant rearing and to initiate an Elephant Reproduction Project or Elephant Weddings for the first time in the world. The project has been a success and has resulted in a number of baby elephants being born in the corral. The Ayutthaya Elephant Sanctuary and the Elephant Looping Corral feature young and old working elephants. Every day, 3 to 4 young elephants, aged 3 -10 years, will be at work.

As well as the Ayutthaya Elephant Sanctuary, there is the Elephant Looping Corral in Suan Phrik Sub-District to the northeast outside the City Isle. This was where wild elephants with good characteristics as detailed in the text of Elephant Characteristics were selected to take part in warfare and it was the place where auspicious elephants were selected to glorify the monarch’s august power, in particular the rare white elephant. Seven white elephants were discovered in the reign of King Maha Chakrabadi earning him the title “the White Elephant King”.