May 21-May 28, 2010
BY LEONARD NOVARRO
Special to ASIA
rank Lee of Kent, England, straddling the neck of a huge elephant, ambles up to us between shows at the Elephant Conservation Center in Lamphang, Thailand. With his ruddy complexion and clipped British accent,
F
he’s not exactly the picture of a mahout, a person who cares for and drives an elephant. But that’s what he’s been doing for the better part of a day. “It’s lovely,” he says, explaining that the two days and three nights of training as a mahout is an anniversary gift from his wife. Cost: $250. “It’s been a surprise; it’s been wonderful,” says Lee, who prefers this style of riding to trav- eling aloft in a chair hoisted to the back of an elephant. Lee, as is typical with most mahouts, will work well into the night. “I don’t know what’s in store. I’ve been doing it for only a couple of hours,” he says, behind a broad grin as he taps and gently strokes his ride. He pauses: “I think I have a lot to learn.”
The best way to learn is from direct experience, said Aristotle. Some 2,300 years later, Frank Lee of Kent, England, is taking him at his word. And so are many other tourists, who are immersing themselves in a variety of experi- ences rather than observing and listening, as is customary. They are doing so despite the recent demonstrations and outbreak of violence in Thailand’s capital, Bangkok, where anti-government demonstrators have taken to the street, clash- ing with police and military, resulting in more than three dozen deaths and hundreds injured. While the demonstrations have virtually paralyzed Bangkok, they have yet to reach out- side the city, where life – and experiences like Frank Lee’s – go on. While Lee explains how there are three ways to get on and off an elephant, we know of only one – climb to the top of a boarding ramp, stretch one foot out, lurch forward and plop yourself down into the chair tightly straddling your transportation’s back. The experience is like sitting on the roof of a house, except that most roofs don’t rock back and forth, left to right. They also don’t have a mind of their own. As we make our way along a thin path into the jungle, through a large pond and up a small hill, my elephant mate loses her hat to the wind. Our mahout commands our elephant to stand still, as he jumps off to retrieve the hat, but our ride has something else in mind. Despite entreaties from the mahout to remain where he is, our elephant ambles off into the forest and burrows his trunk into the nearby landscape in search of lunch. After chomping on three large mouthfuls of grass, he is ready to get back on the path and, with the mahout aboard, we make our way through the jungle. Elephants are revered in Thailand, having played a key role in the history and survival of the country, even once adorning the currency and flag. All Thai kings had stables of white elephants, which were also considered a major gift to seal alliances, and elephants played a key role in Thailand’s eventual ouster of the Burmese, who invaded and once con- trolled the country hundreds of years ago. Yet, the future of these so-called gentle giants is in jeop-
ardy. As recently as 10 years ago, Thailand counted about 4,000 elephants working primarily in the logging industry or performing at camps such as Lamphang. Now, only 2,000 remain protected. As forests have decreased, giving way to farms, conflicts have arisen, with poaching and killings becoming common- place in some areas. The government has even gone as far as repatriating elephants from neighboring countries such as Malaysia, Laos and Indonesia, where herds have been threat- ened.
Perhaps, the most famous of all rescued elephants is Motala, who was saved 10 years ago after stepping on a land- mine on the border with Burma. Now, 48, the elephant has been fitted with a prosthetic leg and is cared for at Lamphang, which houses one of two elephant hospitals in Thailand. At first glance, the unlikeliest place to find a camp for domesticated or rescued elephants is the five-star Anantara Resort Golden Triangle outside Chiang Saen, in the heart of northern Thailand’s hill tribe country. From this luxurious retreat you can look out from the appropriately named Elephant Bar and its outdoor terrace clear across to where Myanmar (Burma) and Laos meet Thailand. Here, guests may visit, watch some of the animals’ daily routine such as bathing, or learn how to be a mahout. Later, by the old swimming hole, so to speak, we watch the bathing ritual as eight of the camp’s 25 elephants roll around in the water, spraying each other playfully. Afterwards, as they make their way up the embankment, pass- ing within inches, our eyes link, albeit momentarily, in a sort of mutual recognition bordering on the spiritual.
19
Elephants, like Thailand, are survivors
Frank Lee, above left, guides his charge on his first day of train- ing to be a mahout while participating in the show at the Elephant
Conversation Center, visited daily by school children, like the group, above right. Left, part of the herd outside the Anantara Golden Triabgle Resort & Spa engage in a routine bath. Below, left, Motala recuperates with her prosthetic leg while one of the performers, right, at the conserva- tion center tries its hand at painting. Below: Elephant trekking in the jungle.
Photos by Leonard Novarro
knows by heart:
Many of the residents of the camp were born here. Hence, says camp director John Roberts: “In many ways, they are more domesticated than dogs.” On a nearby polo field, where each April a professional elephant polo match is held to raise funds for their care, part of the herd is assembled, and we stand at intervals amid these massive creatures to pose for photos. Suddenly, Rosalynn Carmen, co-publisher of ASIA and a member of our group, begins singing a song every Thai child
“Chang Chang Chang (Elephant Elephant Elephant) Nong Kei Hen Chang Rue Plaw (Have you even seen the elephant?) Chang Man Tua To Mai Bao (Elephant has a big body) Jamuk Yao Yao Riek Wa Nguang (Long nose call trunk) Me Kiew Tai Nguang Riek Wa Nga (has tooth under trunk call tusk) Me Hu Me Ta Hang Yao (had ears, has eyes, long tail)”
As she repeats the verse, several giant bodies sway back and forth in unison to the lyrics. We have no choice but to bend with them – or get out of the way. We stay where we are and join the massive movement as it slowly moves left to right and back to left. That’s something they don’t teach at mahout school.
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20