Elephant Rider and Big Friends

The mahouts and the native elephants in the Central Highlands have a special relationship, as close as family members. Their daily lives revolve not only around work but also about sharing, caring and understanding.

In daily life, the relationship between mahouts and elephants is not only that of owner and pet, but also of friendship and kinship. The M'Nong and Ede people consider elephants as family members, with their own names and are treated like humans. They pass on the mahout profession from generation to generation, together experiencing many happy and sad memories.

Nowadays, with the serious decline of elephant herds, the lives of elephant handlers and elephants have also changed a lot. Conservation efforts have been shifting to an elephant-friendly tourism model , replacing elephant riding with more intimate and humane activities such as walking with elephants, bathing and feeding elephants. This not only helps improve elephant welfare but also brings visitors meaningful experiences, while preserving a unique cultural feature of the Central Highlands.