Baby elephant Navann causes auntie controversy

Who will really end up being baby elephant Navann’s aunties at Elephant Nature Park? At this moment it is anyone’s guess …

A few weeks ago we would have felt confident in saying that Mae Kham Paan was the recognized Number One Auntie and that Malai Tong and Mae Jarunee were a firm Number Two and Three. Mae Keow was a definite part-timer and recently Dani was even getting lots of quality time with Navann each morning.

When Navann and his growing group of admirers spent most of their time up in the front corner of the park, newcomer Dao Tong had started to take an interest and was edging closer with each passing day; but just when her confidence was at it’s highest, Navann, along with mum Sri Prae and the auntie brigade, set out on a big adventure which took them on a tour around the eastern edge of the park ending out at the river near the tree shrine.

Navann loved every minute of this journey taking the lead, with his herd of doting, protective, elderly, disabled devotees ambling along behind. Once they reached their destination, Navann explored his new territory with gusto; there were so many exciting scents for his little trunk to experience and new elephants for Navann to introduce himself to as well!

Changes

Everything has it’s balance and with the good there is also bad. Though it was good for Navann and his group to relocate, it was not so good for Dao Tong, who stayed up in the front corner and went back to spending most of her time alone. Dao Tong is a bit socially awkward and does not always get along with others. Her mahout was not confident to take her to areas where many elephants congregate.

After a few days we felt sorry for Dao Tong. Her mahout was instructed to take her out to the tree shrine area. From there it was up to her whether she engaged socially or not, but we had to give her the opportunity to at least try.

Dao Tong had not forgotten about Navann.

In fact, it seemed quite obvious that the little bull calf was probably all that she had been thinking about since she last saw him. Within a few hours time, Dao Tong was at the river side-by-side with Sri Prae and Navann looking quite satisfied with herself. From that moment onward she was hooked.

Sri Prae and Malai Tong did not seem to find her intrusive, but Mae Jarunee was put off by Dao Tong’s arrival and moved out to the sidelines. Mae Kham Paan was not too sure about Dao Tong, but she is confident of her role as Number One Auntie and was not about to let some new girl push her off to the side. She did take advantage of the extra caregiver and enjoyed some time grazing on her own.

Things seemed to be going well … for the most part.

Dao Tong appeared to enjoy being around Sri Prae and Malai Tong almost as much as she loved the feeling of Navann nestled against her front legs. Malai Tong, the social butterfly that she is, became caught up in the excitement of Dao Tong’s arrival and seemed to temporarily forget about poor old Mae Jarunee, who by this time had wandered way off on her own and was looking quite forlorn. Mae Kham Paan stood her ground, knowing that Navann would always come looking for her before too long. Jarunee’s mahout did his best to draw her back closer to the group and at first she would come, but as soon as she caught the scent of Dao Tong, she turned away yet again.

The other family herd

Faa Mai, Faa Sai, Tong Jaan, Mae Bua Tong and Chang Yim have started to pay visits to Navann’s group a few times a day, or whenever they can sneak away from their mahouts unnoticed. They usually end up over there arriving one by one, or by twos. The youngsters are obsessed with Navann and he is equally interested in them.

The addition of Dao Tong took the visitors by surprise; Faa Mai, Faa Sai and Tong Jaan had mingled with her the day she arrived, but had not seen much of her since that time. Everyone was collectively touching and smelling each other, bodies and trunks mingling. In a matter of minutes things got a bit tense, Chang Yim wanting to engage in a pushing match with Dao Tong right in the midst of the group. Everyone instantly became overprotective of those they felt they needed to protect and Dao Tong was almost set upon by Mae Bua Tong.

So that Sri Prae, Navann, Mae Kham Paan and Malai Tong could relax for a moment, the “kids” and Mae Bua Tong were called away, along with Dao Tong. But, Dao Tong could not be kept away for long and rushed back over within minutes.

That evening, after such an exciting and eventful day, Navann, Sri Prae, Mae Kham Paan, Malai Tong, Jarunee and now with Dao Tong in tow, made their way towards the shelters. It came as no suprise that when Navann went into his shelter with mum and Mae Kham Paan, Dao Tong screamed in distress and would not cooperate with her mahout who was trying to lead her back to her shelter. So … Dao Tong was allowed to stay outside of Navann’s shelter and she has been there every night since.

Back to the good and the bad

It is great to see lonely Dao Tong with Navann and Sri Prae, even getting along well with Faa Mai’s family when they come to visit each day. Though sadly, Mae Jarunee seems to have pretty much given up on being one of Navann’s aunties at this point. Both she and Malai Tong have spent the last few days well away from Sri Prae, Navann and Mae Kham Paan, only seeing them at the shelter in the morning and evenings.

Mae Keow is completely out of the picture and Dani rarely wanders over to dote on Navann.
It appears that they all feel Dao Tong’s personality is just too dominant.

They were not kicked out of the group. Dao Tong is just showing a side of herself that we had yet to see. Her maternal side! She is VERY vocal – screaming in response to the slightest moan from Navann. Dao Tong is so excited to be with him that she may not be able to think of anyone else at this time. On at least one occasion (with Malai Tong and Mae Jarunee already out of the picture) she even tried to push Mae Kham Paan away from her and Navann. She seems to be slightly jealous of Navann’s intense connection to Mae Kham Paan and her important role.

Navann does favor Mae Kham Paan, but really it seems that he is not too picky. He just loves ATTENTION and the more the better. He is happy to be touched and caressed by any elephant that comes his way. He is most content when nestled in the center of six or seven big grey bodies, whose trunks slither across his rounded form, tickling him with their delicate caresses.

So … what happens from here??

Could Malai Tong and Jarunee be content without baby Navann in their lives? It was such a wonderful thing that Jarunee and Sri Prae had overcome their differences and decided that they could all get along to love and care for Navann collectively.

Could Mae Kham Paan enjoy Dao Tong’s company as much as she did Malai Tong and Jarunee’s?
Will Dao Tong be able to respect Mae Kham Paan’s age and prominent role as number one auntie and act accordingly?

Will Mae Keow ever get up the nerve to try to be with Navann again now that the social dynamic has changed? Or, could Mae Keow join up with Malai Tong and Jarunee?

Will Jarunee adapt to Dao Tong’s presence and reunite with the group so they can be one big, happy family?

The only sure thing is that Navann’s birth and the prospect of caring for him has given many a handicapped, sightless, aged, spinster a new mission in life!

With each passing day there is a new twist, another development. Like any good soap opera, this ongoing drama of elephantine proportions keeps us on the edges of our seats and lying awake at night, pondering the possibilities. At this point, it seems that not even the elephants themselves know how it will turn out.

All we can do is wait … and watch … in the end it is Navann who chooses.