Larry Laverty

                                                                         November, 2022 I began my time in Thailand in the north of the country, at Elephant Nature Park. Co-founded by Saengduean "Lek" Chailert, pictured with me, Elephant Nature Park has evolved since its beginning in 1998. With Lek focused on elephant conservation since 1996, the sanctuary and rescue organization soon gained recognition around the world for its efforts to improve the welfare of elephants and numerous other animals.  Along with several other stops along the way, including a visit to Boon Lott's Elephant Sanctuary (BLES) founded by Katherine "Kat" Connor, the other highlight of the survey was taking in the Surin Elephant Festival, both performances and behind the scenes. Over 200 elephants traveled to attend this year's event, with no shortage of challenging sights to take in.  

                                                                           October, 2022 I began my exploration of Nepal's elephants in and around Bardia National Park. My way was facilitated by Dr. Rabin Kadariya, the lead conservation officer for the National Trust for Nature Conservation, Bardia Conservation Program. I'm pictured here with their elephant, Shanti Kali, and the mahout Hari Bahadur Chaudhry. Just after this picture was taken, elephant and mahout were dispatched into the park to join in the effort to render first aid to a troubled tiger. Reports of wild elephants in the area were very scarce so I adjusted my days to spending time with the area's captive elephants.

                                                                          August, 2022 Pictured are members of a Conservation Response Unit I met on the Indonesian island of Sumatra.  As the island's human population grew during the last century, conflicts grew between the people and the island's elephants. In response, the government arranged for over 500 elephants to be captured, then placed in one of several inhumane camps, to be kept out of sight and out of the way. During my time on the island, I visited several of these camps, witnessing the sad state of life for surviving elephants, kept at the beck and call of human beings.

  As a youngster, I learned of Borneo's primitive nature. In my mind, the island was not only a far away place, but a place too far for modern-day human beings to populate. During my visit there, I learned otherwise. Yes, it does have pockets of land where nothing has changed in centuries. But for a majority of the land of Sabah, the once pristine island has been taken over by humans and their money-making schemes. I wasn't prepared for just how extensive the planting of the oil palm has become. This domination by humans meant that I had to go deeper into the landscape to find the remaining elephants who call the island home. Pictured, my friend Akhmal Aron and I are making our way out of a remote hideaway where a family of elephants had been spending several days. The going was tough going in and coming out. Humid heat over 90 degrees, thick jungle vegetation, flowing water, slippery river rocks, and leeches. But as I prepare for my next book on elephants, I know that some of