The resilience of Mae Gorgae
Your continued support and commitment have made a life free from suffering possible for many elephants in Thailand. May is a month where we can celebrate mothers and their boundless strength and determination, Mae Gorgae is a beautiful example of just that.
Born in the early 1970's, Mae Gorgae hasn’t had the easiest life. She spent years dragging logs out of the forest in Thailand and Myanmar before working as a trekking elephant in Chiang Mai (a city in northern Thailand). Sadly, she may have undergone a “training” called ‘the crush’– a cruel and fear-based training method that includes physical confinement and isolation as well as food deprivation and brutal, physical violence. In that time, she also gave birth to her daughter Mayura.
Born in 1989, close to the Thailand and Myanmar border, Mayura worked as a logging elephant in both Thailand and Myanmar for many years. While she was sometimes sent to work in different regions than her mother, the two were often able to reunite in their owners’ hometown during breaks between logging jobs. Most recently, she worked as a taxi elephant in Chiang Mai, carrying tourists on her back alongside her mother at a camp that gave them very little free time to spend together.
Mae Gorgae’s fortune finally took a turn for the better when she came to stay at the ChangChill elephant venue in Chiang Mai. She lives there with her daughter Mayura, free from cruelty and suffering. No more logging and no more rides or entertainment for tourists. She lives a more natural life, just as she deserves, roaming and foraging freely in the hills and forest under the caring watch of her mahout and always with her precious daughter.
Mae Gorgae (left) with her daughter Mayura (right). (Photo: Jittrapon Kaicome / World Animal Protection)
Mae Gorgae lives a special life at ChangChill. “Mae” in Thai means “mother,” and that’s exactly what her role is. Unfortunately, many elephants are separated from their mothers at a young age, but Mae Gorgae hardly ever lets her daughter out of her sight. She is very protective of Mayura, and this mother-daughter duo are constantly vocalizing to each other, which can be heard echoing throughout ChangChill.
Now in her fifties, Mae Gorgae is strong and lively, energetic and strong-willed
Mayura is one of the youngest, and most energetic elephants in the ChangChill herd, and is often heard trumpeting and roaring with her mother, Mae Gorgae.
Together, we work tirelessly to make stories like Mae’s and Mayura’s a reality. We’re grateful to have a community of animal lovers support our work every step of the way.
In 2019, with help from World Animal Protection and travel companies, ChangChill transitioned to an elephant-friendly venue and stopped allowing visitors to directly interact with elephants. This commitment meant Mae and Mayura could enjoy their days being viewed by tourists rather than interacting with them as they would have done previously.
In 2020, donors to World Animal Protection helped provide emergency funding to ChangChill where due to the COVID-19 crisis, tourism had come to a complete halt. Thanks to your critical support, ChangChill was able to continue providing for the elephants.
It’s crucial that we continue our efforts together to give elephants a better life and make the tourism industry one that is humane and wildlife friendly. The goal is to stop the future exploitation, while also creating better lives for elephants currently living in captivity.
Mae Gorgae. “Gorgae” is from the dialect of the Karen, an ethnic group residing mostly in Myanmar and Thailand. Endearingly, it means Gold. “Mae” in Thai means mother, so she is “Mother of Gold” (Photo: Chang Chill)
