There is perhaps no greater symbol associated with the Kingdom of Thailand than the Elephant. For centuries these grand animals have been tied to the royal family and were front and center during major ceremonies and festivities.
In rural areas elephant labor was widely used in agriculture and the timber industry. Since 1989 it has been illegal to use Elephants to haul lumber, and with the advent of modern farm machinery, it is no longer economically viable to use Elephants for farming.
Since former work animals are domesticated and cannot be returned to the wild, many have now found a place in the Thai tourism industry. A number of so-called sanctuaries claim to rescue Elephants, however, they are sometimes badly treated, manacled, spending their days confined to concrete pads without proper care. While these commercial camps exploit the animals for their tourist potential, there are many groups who are devoted to the ethical care and proper treatment of these gentle giants.
Our research led us to the ‘Karen Tribe Native Elephants’ village, located 2 hours outside of Chiang Mai. These native hill tribes have been Elephant caretakers for generations. While no longer needed for farming, the tribe decided to keep their Elephants in lieu of selling the herd to commercial ventures. The village now maintains 8 Elephants which are the center of their Eco-tourism project.
Our day-long Elephant experience began with getting acquainted, which was best achieved by feeding our new friends bananas, bananas, bananas, bananas and more bananas. We were then instructed on basic Elephant care, and the many ways to identify a healthy animal including inspection of the dung.
Also important to maintaining healthy Elephants are trail walks and proper bathing. Proper bathing included scrubbing down the skin with a mashed vine that exuded a natural soap lather. Then a good rinse with buckets of cool river water, which was great fun, especially for the baby elephant who was constantly in play mode.
Our afternoon concluded with walking and riding our Elephants. We lumbered along the trails stopping frequently for leafy snacks, and then made our way along a shallow river with the playful baby darting in and out demanding our full attention.
By the end of our experience, it was hard to leave our new friends. From the initial apprehension at the beginning of our day to the full on trunk hugs and kisses at the end of the day, we were left with a new love and appreciation for these magnificent creatures. This was another truly memorable day!
Elephant Extras:
Tammy rides Marree:
https://youtube.com/shorts/KqET4ho3XdA
I am susceptible to self-inflicted ear worms, and the entire day at the village I heard the ‘Baby Elephant Walk’ in my head. The familiar Henry Mancini theme was written for the 1962 film Hatari. This clip features the original music with video of Elephants at the Kruger National Park in South Africa:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kS8eq5DROuo
Since I am on the topic of Elephants and music, I would like to share this extraordinary video of Ampan, a blind 80 year old Elephant experiencing Claude Debussy’s “Clair de Lune” performed on piano in a field in Thailand:
Oh the stories you will tell! 🐘
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