Captive elephants in Nepal spend their lives giving rides.
When these elephants become weak and old, they are often sold to Temples in India
where they end their life alone and die on chains.
Until now, the Nepali owners haven’t considered any other option.
UPDATE on January 2022
Lucky is safe and sound.
After being taken back by her owners for 11 days and threatened to be sold off to India, Lucky was purchased by our founder.
Lena chose to take action to ensure that Lucky would remain safe forever, despite having to drain her savings account to do so.
With your help, we raised $17,000, towards the total cost.
We warmly thank everyone who donated to our fundraiser to save Lucky.
Thank you to each of you, for your trust, your messages of support and your compassion for Lucky, which helped us to get through these challenging times with more confidence.
You can still donate here to support us, and be among the caring people who have already given. We thank you with all our heart.
Please donate for Lucky here: https://chuffed.org/project/save-lucky-kali
CHANGE TAKES TIME BUT WITH YOUR HELP, WE DID IT!
Our hope was that Lucky Kali’s success would lead to similar retirement options for more of Nepal’s privately owned elephants.
We are proud to say that since Lucky’s retirement in 2017, 9 more working elephants have been retired in the same area by two other organizations.
Lucky’s psychological and physical well-being has greatly improved due to the commitment of her mahouts, Ratan and Sanjay, and their daily schedule which puts Lucky’s welfare and happiness first.
We work directly with the mahouts, explaining why it is important that they are patient and allow Lucky the freedom and space to make her own decisions. We guid them to accept and adapt to the changes in her confidence and behavior. In return, Lucky has learnt to trust Ratan and Sanjay and she has flourished in her new home.
We give Lucky’s mahouts the opportunity to feel proud, appreciated and to learn … in turn, we are very proud and appreciate them.
Watch this amazing video showing a unique scenario between a crocodile, Lucky and her friend Chanchal!
When 60 year old Lucky Kali was no longer able to give rides, in 2017 her owners were approached by our organization. They agreed to lease Lucky to us for a new ethical alternative project where her needs are the focus, rather than sell her to India. Lucky Kali has worked her entire life, first as a logging elephant in India and for the last 25 years giving rides to tourists in Nepal.
Freedom!!! Lucky Kali a few days after her retirement, August 2017.
LUCKY KALI REPRESENTS THE FUTURE
This decision made history. Lucky Kali was Nepal’s very first retired elephant!
Since then, Lucky Kali lives most of her days walking without a mahout on her back, grazing on grasses and playing in the river.
Finally at peace.
We built her a new shelter and housing for her mahouts as well. Today, Lucky and her friends spend their nights in a “chain free corral” so that they can move freely, enjoying the ability to choose where they want to lay down.
In her corral for the night.
We started the “Walk with Lucky” program, for tourists and local people to have a unique and new elephant experience in Sauraha, Chitwan. Our guests followed Lucky while learning about elephant natural behavior by observing her from a respectful distance. The goal was for the success of this initiative to be an example for other elephant owners to follow.
This is only possible if tourists choose a non-contact style of elephant experience.
Walk with an elephant, observe from afar, learn, love, respect, instead of elephant riding and the whole chain of abuse that this entails.
Our “Walk with Lucky”, small groups following her on the grassland!
Guests with our “Team Lucky” and rickshaw pick up service with Dhan … Happiness all around!
Lucky and her beloved mahout Ratan.