https://www.sciencetimes.com/article...-heres-why.htm
Pang Premchuenpanawan, a keeper from the Karen Elephant Experience, and her team embarked on a journey to bring back the elephants to their home village because of coronavirus.
When the COVID-19 pandemic brought collapse to tourism all across Thailand, funding ceased and keepers no longer had the resources to maintain the welfare of their elephants. The keepers waited several months with hopes that the situation would get better and was soon faced with the reality that it would not.
Pang finally decided, with the help of some friends, that they needed to go home and bring their elephants with them on what would become the biggest elephant migration in Thailand's history.
The great migration included hundreds of elephants from different sites moving across 100 miles. The journey would be long and difficult, especially since one elephant is still young. One little guy is only 4 months old who still walks a little floppily.
After 3 or 4 days, the animals will finally reach the mountains of Chiang Mai province. In the villages, the keepers will grow food for the animals and their families and be united with other rescued elephants.
The elephants' response? Smiles and noises telling everyone that they are happy to go home.
I'm not really inclined to believe that they're going to live a good life after that. If they've been in captivity for so long, how will they adapt to a life where they're not fed by others?