HER WORK & ACHIEVEMENTS IN PROTECTING ASIAN ELEPHANTS
HER WORK & ACHIEVEMENTS IN PROTECTING ASIAN ELEPHANTS
Saengduean Lek Chailert
After graduating from Chiang Mai Rajabhat University with an Arts degree, Lek worked in the tourism industry where she witnessed the mistreatment and suffering of many elephants and began to provide medical aid to elephants in remote villages. In the 1990’s, Lek started rescuing injured, neglected, and elderly elephants, and in 2003 was able to establish a permanent homeland for them in the beautiful Mae Taeng valley, near Chiang Mai in Northern Thailand. Today, Elephant Nature Park is home to over 120 elephants who are finally able to live free from abuse within family herds and develop close friendships with one another. Elephants at the park are not required to work, do not perform tricks, and are not ridden. Instead, they are allowed to live a more natural, dignified life where they are respected. Saengduean Chailert, also known as Lek, was born in Thailand in 1962. In return for saving the life of a young man, her grandfather, a shaman or traditional healer, was given an elephant named Thong Kham, meaning Golden One. The bond that developed between Lek and Thong Kham sparked a love and respect for elephants that was to shape the course of her life.
Lek has worked tirelessly to raise international awareness about the plight of both captive and wild Asian elephants. She has been influential in improving the lives of hundreds of elephants in Asia through the work of Save Elephant Foundation, which educates elephant owners and helps them to transition away from elephant riding, performances, and other harmful practices, and instead, adopt the Saddle Off model based on compassion, understanding, and respect. In a male-dominated industry steeped in tradition and resistant to change, Lek’s desire to improve the living conditions of captive Asian elephants has required great courage, pragmatism, and perseverance.
Lek is an award-winning conservationist who has been working for over two decades to improve the lives of elephants in Asia and advance their welfare. Her work has received international acclaim and has been documented by National Geographic, Discovery Channel, Animal Planet, the BBC, DW, and CNN, as well as in print media around the world, including The Guardian, USA Today, and Forbes. She has received widespread recognition for her work protecting elephants, including being honored as one of six Women Heroes of Global Conservation in 2010 by Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, one of TIME Magazine’s Heroes of Asia in 2005, the Ford Foundation’s Hero of the Planet in 2001, and with the Genesis Award from the Humane Society of the United States in 2003 and 2019.
Invited as a speaker to lecture on elephant and environmental conservation at schools and educational institutions, both domestically and abroad.
- June 7, 2023, Lek was invited to attend a luncheon and discussion with the spouses of ambassadors from various countries stationed in Thailand at the residence of the French Ambassador to Thailand.
5th - 8th August 2023 - Lek was invited to speak at the United Nations conference in Bangkok for emerging world leaders.
- November 18, 2023, Lek met with President Ranil Wickremesinghe of Sri Lanka at the Sri Lankan Government House to discuss elephant conservation in Sri Lanka.
- In 2010, Lek was selected by the White House as one of the six women heroes for global environmental conservation and had the opportunity to meet and talk with Hillary Clinton, the 67th Secretary of State of the United States, and the wife of Bill Clinton, the 42nd President of the United States.
- Founder, Save Elephant Foundation - Managing Director, Elephant Nature Park Co., Ltd. Work History
1. Educational Background
2. Achievements in Education and Environmental Conservation Advocacy - Advocacy for legislation protecting elephants and women’s rights in Thailand - Guest speaker providing education to individuals, organizations, schools, and institutions worldwide, including the Congress of the United States - Environmental seminar at the Global Issue Network for International Youth at ISB Bangkok - Guest lecturer on elephant conservation and environmental topics at various schools such as International School Eastern Seaboard, The Regent School, International School Bangkok (ISB), and American Pacific School Library Science Department, Bachelor of Education - Honorary Degree, PhD in Veterinary Science from Chiang Mai Rajabhat University, Academic Year 2547 – 2548 - Mae Taeng School, Grade 1-3 - Watnonthai Payap School, Grade 4-6 - Chiang Mai Teachers College (Chiang Mai Rajabhat University),
AWARDS
2019 Minister of Natural and Environment Working Group, Thailand, for Thai Elephant Protection 2020 Member of the Select Committee of PM2.5 Protection, Thai Parliament 2020 Advisor to the Committee on Land, Natural Resources, Environment and Animal Welfare, Thai Parliament
2024 Asia Women Leaders Forum Environment Award at the Asia Women Leaders International Summit at the United Nations, Bangkok
2024 Received Asia Women Leaders Forum Environmental Award 2024
2024 Received the Sirisawarintara Good Person award, recognizing contributions to environmental conservation efforts 2024 Recognized by BBC Wildlife as one of the top 10 female conservationists reshaping our connection with nature
2019 Thailand Great Citizen from Sangharaga Foundation
2012 Presented with the Good Deed Award by Polish - based foundation, Fundac ji Zacny Uczynek at the Royal Thai Embassy in Warsaw 2015 Outstanding Woman In Buddhism Award, presented by the International Woman’s Meditation Center Foundation 2017 Honored at the Thailand National Book Fair for the children’s book ‘Boon’ and presented with an award from Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn 2018 A Role Model of King Rama 9’s Project Award by Nissan Company 2019 Love & Bananas: An Elephant Story, featuring Lek’s work rescuing elephants awarded one of two Best Feature Documentary Films at the 33rd Annual Genesis Awards, The Humane Society of the United States
2023 Outstanding Alumni Award from Watnonthai Payap School
2021 Member of the Subcommittee of Law Improvement for Wild Elephant Protection, Thai Parliament 2021 Member of the Subcommittee of Natural Resources, Environment and Animal Rights, Thai Parliament 2021 Vice President of Select Committee for Wild Elephant Protection, Thai Parliament 2022 Awarded the Legion d’Honneur, the highest national decoration of the French Republic, by President Macron
2
0
1
2
-
2
0
2
4
2012 Honored with eight other women who were named Outstanding Thai Women for their promotion of Thai values and preservation of the culture, Ministry of Culture Club, Bangkok 2010 Honored by Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton as one of six Woman Heroes of Global Conservation, Washington, D.C. 2009 Honored by Supreme Master Ching Hai 2010 Honorable Mention for the ‘2010 Asian of the Year’ by the Asian Reader’s Digest 2006 Honorary degree from Rajabaht Chiang Mai 2008 Outstanding Woman Award, presented by the Gender and Development Research Institute, Thailand 2006 Earth Day Award from SOS in Singapore University; a PhD in Veterinary Science presented by H.M. Crown Prince of Thailand 2005 Time Magazine - named one of Asia’s Heroes for her work to protect the Asian elephant International Association with the Shining World Compassion Award
2003
17th Annual Genesis Awards: Guest of Honor, The Humane Society of the United States for the The National Geographic documentary, “Vanishing Giants” by journalist, Jennifer Hile, highlighting Lek’s work with Asian elephants, which was recognized with the Genesis Award
2001 “Hero of the Planet” by Ford Foundation in
association with National Geographic Earth Pulse Program in Malaysia
- HONORED AT THE THAILAND NATIONAL BOOK FAIR FOR THE CHILDREN’S BOOK ‘BOON’ AND PRESENTED WITH AN AWARD FROM HER ROYAL HIGHNESS PRINCESS MAHA CHAKRI SIRINDHORN.
LEK’S AWARDS
- AWARDED THE ‘LÉGION D’HONNEUR’, THE HIGHEST NATIONAL DECORATION OF THE FRENCH REPUBLIC, BY PRESIDENT MACRON.
- October 4, 2023, Lek was honored with a Certificate of Appreciation for her role as an assistant to government officials from the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation, and the Elephant and Environmental Conservation Fund for signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on academic cooperation in wildlife management and health care.
- JANUARY 7, 2024, LEK RECEIVED THE “SRISAWARINTHIRA GOOD PERSON AWARD” FOR THE BUDDHIST YEAR 2024 FOR OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTIONS TO ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION.
- MAY 15, 2024, LEK RECEIVED THE ASIA WOMEN LEADERS FORUM ENVIRONMENTAL AWARD 2024.
GOVERNMENT ASSISTANCE/ LEGISLATIVE EXPERIENCE - Appointed as a member of the ministerial committee under the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment to address issues related to Thai elephants, including monitoring the export of elephants in 2019 - Secretariat member of the committee to address and systematically prevent PM2.5 air pollution under the House of Representatives in 2020 - Consultant to the committee on land, natural resources, and environmental matters under the House of Representatives from 2020 to present - Selected as Deputy Chairperson of the committee on elephant conservation issues under the House of Representatives from 2021 to 2022 - Committee member for studying and amending laws and regulations hindering the resolution of elephant conservation issues and studying related research and innovations under the House of Representatives from 2021 to 2022 - Since 2021, selected as a qualified member to serve on the working committee of the National Research Office. - In 2023, served on the committee to address elephant conservation issues under the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment
SAVE THE ELEPHANTS
Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32Made with FlippingBook Digital Publishing Software