Our work involves a range of conservation and environmental initiatives, including our captive elephant welfare project, and our long-term intent to support wild elephant populations in a National Biodiversity Conservation Area (NBCA). LEI conducts projects and programs internally and also provides grants to organizations that are doing work compatible with our mission.

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Once known as the ancient Kingdom of Lan Xang, or “Land of the Million Elephants” Lao’s elephant population has plummeted to dangerously low levels. Current estimates indicate that fewer than 800 (wild and captive) now live in the country.  

LEI believes every elephant that can live in the wild should live wild. It is their birthright and best suits their fundamental nature. Our work on wild elephants, which will, over the course of the next several years unfold in stages, will focus on providing financial and staff support to an organization and their partners who are working actively in this area.  Specifically, our goals are to: 

• Support population growth of wild elephants living in one or more of Lao’s 23 National Biodiversity Conservation Areas (NBCAs) and strengthen genetic diversity within herds

• Address the issue of human-elephant conflict by engaging communities bordering the NBCA/s, establishing park patrol teams, and beta testing new methods of mitigating contact between humans and wild elephants

• Document data-driven outcomes and expand monitoring capacity

• Work in collaboration with experts, who have had significant success in rewilding elephants, and

• Showcase the economic and cultural value of protecting elephants within Lao and the international conservation community.

As a result of the crisis caused by COVID-19, the closing of borders and thus the lack of tourists and income, many elephant camps in and around Luang Prabang struggled to feed and care for their elephants.

Learn about how LEI provided help through our "Feed the Elephants" program during these difficult times.

If you would like to donate by check, please make it payable to Lao Elephant Initiative. 

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Send donations to:

Lao Elephant Initiative 
P.O. Box 612
Indian Hills, Colorado 80454

Please note that if you have a specific project or organization to which you'd like to direct or restrict your donation, we ask you to indicate this in the memo section. If your donation is to be directed to MandaLao Elephant Conservation, please clearly note that, as well.

If you intend to send a check each month as a recurring donation, please include a note letting us know when to expect it.​

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We value the safety and security of our donors. For this reason, we advise that you do not send credit card information through the mail.

We regret that we are unable to accept cash donations at this time.