These elephants used to live in captivity, forced to give rides to tourists at Angkor Wat… but now they get to live out their well-deserved retirement, freely roaming the 400 hectares of forest at kulenelephantforest. Sadly they can’t be released into the wild for several reasons — after living so long in captivity, they wouldn’t survive; plus they face threats caused by deforestation & undetonated land-mines in the area. 💔 Elephant conservation isn’t black & white but here’s what you can look for in an ethical experience: • no elephant riding for tourists • adequate space in nature to roam & exercise • no chains & forced restraints • proper veterinarian care on-site • repopulation & research focus • limited number of tourists/hours of interaction to avoid overstimulating the elephants (they’re sensitive!) • observing them in their natural habitats/activities VS. forced entertainment/performing • sign of happiness like playing with each other, touching/comforting each other, bei...