Kisses from Babar
January 17, 2012
This weekend we spent a day at the Thai Elephant Conservation Center in Lampang, northern Thailand. Elephants played a huge role historically in the logging industry, but since it was outlawed in Thailand in 1989, there was a tremendous decrease in the demand for trained elephants, and many are terribly abused in tourist outfits and sideshows in Bangkok. Elephants live to about 80 years old and were traditionally trained by two mahouts which were typically father and son to ensure ownership, income and oversight throughout the life of the animal. Law requires the elephants to retire at 61 and be released back to the wild. Rescue preserves which support eco-tourism are a way to ensure both jobs for the mahouts and quality of life for the animals.
This wasn't the original elephant park that we thought we had made arrangements for, so when we arrived and saw the tour buses and brochures advertising elephant rides and elephant shows we were quite concerned that we had traveled almost 2 hours to patronize just the type of facility were were looking to avoid! But the facility also included a nursery and hospital, an elephant sperm bank (!) and an elephant "EMS" where they provide emergency medical support to any elephants in crisis throughout Thailand.
The best thing about the surprise location is that it's a bit off the beaten path for the western tourists and appeared to be the Sunday activity for Thai families with children under 8 years old. So there were 6 yogis and a hundred Thai children watching the big guys paint pictures, play the xylophone, eat bananas, etc. We visited the nursery where there was a playful 7 month old as well as a pregnant mama elephant who really enjoyed bananas and patiently posed for the paparazzi. My day was complete with a smacking smootch from another guy fresh from his bath in the lake!
They are really incredible creatures. The size and strength capacity is amazing. There also something very engaging, perhaps it's the big eyes and eyelashes. Or perhaps it's growing up with Babar and Dumbo, and then later in life discovering Ganesha.
This wasn't the original elephant park that we thought we had made arrangements for, so when we arrived and saw the tour buses and brochures advertising elephant rides and elephant shows we were quite concerned that we had traveled almost 2 hours to patronize just the type of facility were were looking to avoid! But the facility also included a nursery and hospital, an elephant sperm bank (!) and an elephant "EMS" where they provide emergency medical support to any elephants in crisis throughout Thailand.
The best thing about the surprise location is that it's a bit off the beaten path for the western tourists and appeared to be the Sunday activity for Thai families with children under 8 years old. So there were 6 yogis and a hundred Thai children watching the big guys paint pictures, play the xylophone, eat bananas, etc. We visited the nursery where there was a playful 7 month old as well as a pregnant mama elephant who really enjoyed bananas and patiently posed for the paparazzi. My day was complete with a smacking smootch from another guy fresh from his bath in the lake!
They are really incredible creatures. The size and strength capacity is amazing. There also something very engaging, perhaps it's the big eyes and eyelashes. Or perhaps it's growing up with Babar and Dumbo, and then later in life discovering Ganesha.
