We're sorry to hear that your visit to MandaLao wasn't what you had hoped. You are clearly an advocate for elephants and for that we thank you. The issues related to treatment of captive elephants vs wild elephants are quite complex, as we're sure you know. Should all elephants be wild? Yes. Are there many captive elephants that, literally for the sake of their survival, need to be cared for in the most ethical and humane way possible? Yes. MandaLao is committed to doing its utmost to ensure that captive elephants live a life as close as possible to the one they would live in wild. Unlike most other conservation program in Southeast Asia, we are completely chain free (night and day), use no hooks, hammers, prohibit riding or bathing, provide professional vet care, constant access to healthy, nutritious food, and land to roam with their herd. They take a walk with guests once a day - through the jungle streams, with their closest friend. In terms of having only female elephants in the sanctuary, this is typical in the wild. Herds are matriarchal and the females stay with females - older males do not live with the herd. Just to clarify, as well, we are opposed to captive breeding. As we've said, ideally, elephants should be born to be wild. In fact, we will be reintroducing our young male elephant, Kit, back to the wild, along with a small bachelor herd over the course of the next few years.