Sangduen "Lek" Chailert
Chailert continues to advocate for Asian Elephants and tries her best to raise awareness throughout the world. She has successfully rescued over 200 elephants.  She first started taking action after witnessing elephants being forced to carry logs into the jungle. She later realized that all this abuse deeply affects their mental health.  In fact, some elephants have become blind because of slingshots targeted at their eyes as well as the bright lights in a circus.  Elephants endure intense training for circuses.  Many elephants are taken away from their parents at a very young age, which significantly affects them later in life.  Some elephants get chained up on their legs, causing them to bleed because of the deep cuts in their legs. Because of the harsh conditions, many elephants become very aggressive and develop a lot of trauma. Elephants are commonly forced to do tricks, get ridden, and do paintings using their trunks.  They are also used for their ivory. They are also forced to do extremely tough labor. Many elephants suffer from abuse that is involved with logging, tourism, circuses, and street begging. Elephants are meant to be in the wild and be independent. They are not meant to be used as entertainment for humans. Many people are not aware of how this affects elephants. Chailert’s mentality is that an elephant isn’t just an animal; they are a person.  That is why she treats them with respect.  She treats them as if they are part of her family.  Chailert was taught to respect nature at a young age. Chailert acknowledges the fact that more people are being educated about this topic. She hopes more people are informed. She would like others to spread the word.