Anderson Cooper and his partner, Benjamin Maisani, are in Myanmar caring for elephants at a rescue and Cooper is sharing the experience through Instagram.
They were visiting the Green Hill Valley Elephant Camp, which takes in animals that have been worked for decades in the logging industry. When they are no longer fit to work, the camp takes them in and provides the necessary care for them to live out the rest of their lives.
From working in logging to getting a scrub down from Cooper and Maisani, it’s safe to say these elephants have seen a marked improvement in their quality of life.
The camp describes its history and mission on its website:
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Green Hill Valley was founded in 2011 by a family with a history of working with elephants in the Myanmar Timber Enterprise (MTE). The focus is primarily on providing care for elephants that are no longer fit to work. The family realized that Myanmar elephants working in timber camps were in precarious situation as logging slows down due to a variety of factors. Another reason for starting the GHV camp was the desire to educate and share information with both local residents and foreign visitors.
In 2012, the family managed to hire several disabled elephants from the MTE and a five-year-old male was added in July 2012. Thanks to the income provided by visitors, elephants at GHV can enjoy their full retirement and receive the veterinary care they require.
