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Again, just one Giraffe Hero--this time it's a woman in Thailand. Since there may  be as many lovers of elephants in the world as there are lovers of giraffes, I think you'll like knowing about someone defying the odds and enduring considerable harassment to protect those much loved creatures.
As long as there are Giraffes, there's hope.
~Ann Medlock, Founder~Giraffe Heroes Project
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Sangduen Chailert, known as "Lek," puts in 18-hour days caring for sick and injured elephants in a protected reserve she co-founded, the Elephant Nature Park in northern Thailand.
The dwindling elephant population is a world-wide concern and Chailert is in the thick of saving them in her country. Doing so has endangered her own safety: She campaigns against "crushing," the stabbing, beating, and starving that handlers do in order to "tame" an elephant. This has earned her the enmity of officials in the government; Thailand's economy counts on tourism, and when foreigners are informed about how the elephants they see are being mistreated, Thailand loses some of its "romantic" image.
The Park, and Chailert herself, have been subject to harassment, raids, and threats. In 2012, employees of the Park were interrogated for over 13 hours by dozens of armed officials investigating an "anonymous" complaint that 70 wild elephants were being abused there; the complaint was baseless, and probably fabricated.
Despite such incidents, Chailert continues to speak out about how animals--particularly elephants--are treated throughout southeast Asia. As she said at the time of the raid, "We will do whatever possible to protect our elephants. Today I prepare to go to jail, but the fight for my animals and justice will never stop."
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What you can do now, if you are so moved.
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Read about how Chailert started her work and what her days are like in our free online database of heroes. Pass her story to people you know who could use a spark in their day.
LIKE us on Facebook. SHARE stuff we post there.
Go to www.giraffe.org and take away the inspiration and information you'll find there.
Watch the interview RainmakerTV just did with me.  They do a great job of telling the world what Giraffe is about.
Watch the Rainmaker interview with Giraffe Heroes International director, John Graham.
You should know about the terrific Giraffe work he's doing around the world.
Sign up for the Hero Round Table, the world's first inter-disciplinary conference on heroism. It features the world's leading experts on the subject from psychology, business, education, entertainment, and sports. I'll be one of them, using my plenary session to give attendees everything I know from almost 30 years of telling heroes' stories. It's in Michigan in November and you can attend - check it out at http://heroroundtable.com.
Here's to a life filled with meaning-- your life.
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