Elephants are sacred to the ancient Lao people. Current estimates suggest that there are fewer than 1300 wild and domesticated left in the fabled "Land of a Million Elephants". This reportage visits the Pak Lay Elephant Festival. Takes a caravan via elephant into the remoter recesses of Laos and finishes in UNESCO protected Luang Prabang. I am an Australian travel writer/photographer-www.mike larder.com. I have articles to assist these images. The stories centre on the care and repatriation of the seriously endangered Lao elephant to the forests by ElefantAsia www.elefantAsia.org, a French based ngo chartered to preserve the Mahout culture, the forests and the remaining elephants via education,ethical tourism, culturally sensitive elephant treks employing elephants rescued from hard toil hauling illegal precious timbers and mobile veterinary care.
Articles available.