THE KAREN ELEPHANT EXPERIENCE

There are many twists and turns, as well as amazing views, while journeying to Baan Bpaaklang Doi.

Upon arrival, we are warmly greeted and offered coffee, tea and cookies. Then, visitors sit on a covered bamboo platform perched on the edge of a hillside and take in the view, complete with rice paddy below.

Later, lunch is served which includes farm-to-table items like a portion of rice neatly wrapped in a banana leaf that was grown right in that very paddy! Off in the distance, if you know what to listen for – SNAP! CRACK! POP! — as bamboo branches break. That’s the sound of elephants enjoying the all-you-can-eat jungle buffet.

As the potential for getting dirty is a bit high during the walk, we are offered to change into a traditional Karen tunic and black fisherman pants. To further add to the experience’s comfort and convenience, there are western style toilets but it is best to BYOTP ( Bring Your Own Toilet Paper).

Now comes the part we have been waiting for – meeting the elephants!!! Depending on the day and number of guests (which is a minimum of 4 or a maximum of 8) there could be 2 to 4 elephants walking with you.

When it became obvious that the ‘Walking with Elephants’ programs really were a success, we decided to contact the owners yet again to see if they were interested in setting up a program in their village with our favourite girls and some of their other elephants as well. Thankfully, the owners were interested – which meant no more hooks, no more trekking seats and no more riding once again for Mae Boon, Aura and a few more lucky elephants.

THE DAY

Back at Baan Bpaaklang Doi, three elephants come rushing towards the bundles of cornstalks on the ground in front of us. One is immediately recognizable as Mae Boon, just as beautiful and impressive as the day she left ENP. Despite the years of work, she is free from scars and has not aged a bit. Her heavy-lidded, thick-lashed eyes gaze down upon us imperiously and indifferently. She has only one thing in mind – FOOD. She was always very food obsessed when she stayed with us. It takes a lot of food to maintain such a beautiful figure! We are mesmerized by her lush blond ear fluff and her overall perfection. What an incredible being! Surely she should bear the title ‘Queen’ before her name.

We inspected the next arrival looking for the telltale missing trunk tip that would identify Aura. Unfortunately, Aura had lost her trunk tip at a very early age, supposedly when her mother stepped on it by mistake!

Alas, the next elephant still had her trunk tip and was too old to be Aura. Her name was Mae Geao, and she was in her early twenties. She was leggy and in decent shape – not too fat, not too thin. The third elephant strode up with a limp. She had an old break in her back left leg from falling when she was attacked by another elephant. Around 20, her name was Boon Ngern. Boon Ngern has the most lovely, honey colored eyes and incredibly long eye lashes!

Aura, we were told, would join us a bit later along with the infamous playboy, Plai Somboon. We were quite anxious to get a glimpse of Plai Somboon, as there was a chance he was the father of our Jungle Boy, Tong Jaan and Aura! If so, he was part of our elephant family tree.

Once the bundles of cornstalks were demolished, we set out on a jungle trail armed with bags of bananas. Soon we realised that it was best if the mahouts carried the bananas as otherwise the elephants were simply too close and it was not easy to get good pictures. To be honest, the bananas were not nearly as enticing to the elephants as the lush bamboo which was everywhere!

Mae Boon, clearly enjoying herself on this leisurely jungle walk.

When in the jungle, elephants are truly in their element. Jungle food is almost always preferred over fruit.

This is what makes an experience like this so special; Sure, it is exciting to be up close to an elephant – but – it is even more exhilarating to be with elephants when they are enjoying themselves in their natural environment and oblivious to your presence. It is only then that you can observe them truly being elephants. Captive working elephants are rarely allowed this simple pleasure, which they so rightly deserve. YOUR visit allows them this luxury!

All elephants enjoy a good mud bath… but most working elephants rarely get the opportunity to take one.

After about an hour, we made it back out to the road. The ladies made good use of some deep ruts and had a refreshing mud bath.

This is when Aura ambled up to join them.

Aura, like her mom, is also quite food obsessed … she went right for the bananas. We expected to see a bit of excitement as mother and daughter got together, but alas (‘Oh hey, how are you doing…’) it was a bit anticlimactic. Mae Boon was never known for her maternal qualities… we used to joke that she was more of a modern day mom (where Mae Bua Tong, Tong Jaan’s mom  was more the old school traditional mom). As long as SOMEONE was looking out for Aura, she was ok… it did not have to be her. As can happen with human children, Aura took comfort in food. Not that Mae Boon did not love her, as she really did… but HER personal and social needs were important, too!

It had been around 5 years since last seeing Aura and the moment was a bit emotional. Overall she looked good. She was not thin, but looked a bit tired. Though she is a good-sized elephant, Aura at just past 10 years old was much shorter than our Tong Jaan at ENP, who was only 3 months older than her.

After a good, long session slinging mud, which allowed us many great photo opps, it was time for lunch. We were served a tasty and plentiful lunch back at the bamboo platform, where we could look across the valley and again see the bamboo clumps quivering and the occasional trunk, happily snapping off a branch. We took pleasure in knowing the elephants were free and eating again as well.

Lunch was plentiful and delicious!

Once we were so full we could not manage another bite, it was time to get going again.

Next stop…. the proper mud pit! Down into the valley we descended, where there was a manmade mud pit right next to the rice paddy. Interestingly, elephants are not interested in raiding rice fields. The girls wasted no time getting down and dirty. Doi, our Karen guide, encouraged us to get in as well – but – we had no interest in rolling in the mud with these gorgeous giants. We preferred to watch from the sidelines and take hundreds of photos as they enjoyed themselves to the fullest. Had we gotten in with them they would have had to be too cautious, and not been able to really relax and have fun.

So we sat… and laughed and smiled and marvelled at their joy and their magnificence.

When they were good and ready, they lifted themselves out gracefully, glistening with mud and majesty. Onwards and upwards – another climb – to the next stage of their spa… the dust bath, followed by a long, languorous scratch against the trees.

All of this they were allowed to do at their own pace. We hung out, while they pampered themselves – elephant style.

Down we went once again. And just to be clear, though you do go up and down, this is a very easy trek for most. Your actual walking time is probably no more than 1 1/2 hours with lots of breaks as you are going along at an elephant’s ‘leisurely stop and browse or scratch whenever they want’ kind of pace.

Our next destination was a picturesque little stream with some lovely elephant-sized pools. Again, we were encouraged to get in with the elephants and bathe them, but from experience we knew that elephants enjoy bathing more if they are allowed to do it on their own. As well, the pool was barely large enough for two elephants, let alone with people added to the mix. We preferred to allow the elephants to have the stream all to themselves and again took amazing photos of them from the water’s edge. Mae Boon is a true diva – incredibly photogenic and looks fabulous no matter what she is doing.

Mae Boon, always stealing the show, photo bombs Mae Geao.

Finally, our trio of pachyderms were ready to move on. It was time for our last ascent back up the hill, stopping at the top for some cucumbers, more dusting and scratching. Mae Boon must feel that she has surely found her dream ‘job’ as she was made for this kind of pampering! We then headed back down to where we began, in anticipation of meeting Plai Somboon.

WHO’S YOUR DADDY?

Plai Somboon….. we had known of him for years. We had seen pictures but had never gazed upon him with our own eyes. Like humans, elephants can resemble and have the same characteristics of their parents. It is always interesting to see the mothers, fathers, aunties or grandparents of the elephants we know and love. Today we were possibly seeing Jungle Boy and Tong Jaan’s father.

Plai Somboon and his micro mahout.

The presence of a male elephant is always awe-inspiring. They have an incredible energy about them.

He came down from the mountain free from chains, with the tiniest mahout in tow. The ladies were not afraid. In fact, they were quite interested in him. The mahouts all sat back and watched. No one tried to micro manage them.

Hey girls, can you share those cornstalks??

They mingled, mutually sniffing and touching, while casually eating bundles of cornstalks. Plai Somboon is of average height but leggy. His spine has a beautiful curve to it. His ears were small. He does not have obvious scars. He has tushes, not tusks. He is all muscle.

But… alas, he was not the bull from the photos. He was not the Plai Somboon who we were told fathered Jungle Boy and Tong Jaan. Somboon, which means ‘perfect, abundant or absolute’ is a very popular elephant name for males and females. It would have been satisfying to know that the father of two of our elephants was now also getting to live a more free life … But in the end, we were just happy for THIS Plai Somboon… that he was able to enjoy jungle life and get a break from the doldrums of the normal working world and would continue to do so for the foreseeable future.

Our day of observing elephants while they enjoy themselves in the jungle was drawing to a close. We were filled with a sense of satisfaction, knowing that this is how these elephants got to spend their days. The Karen Elephant Experience is a great effort and benefits all who are involved – most importantly, THE ELEPHANTS. 

The post Exposing elephant owners to a kinder, gentler style of elephant tourism appeared first on Save Elephant Foundation - Online News.

Sook Sai steps off the truck and in to her new life at ENP.

She has been renamed Sook Sai which means ‘pure happiness’. Originally from Mae Sariang and Karen hill tribe owners, Sook Sai has been moved all around Thailand and has passed from owner to owner about 15 times.

As would be expected, she began her working life in legal and illegal logging. Sook Sai eventually ended up in the south of Thailand working as a trekking elephant. Four years ago she lost her footing going up a hill and broke her ankle. She was in recovery for one and a half years, after which she was forced to resume trekking even though her ankle did not heal properly and buckled under her weight causing her to walk on the side of her foot. As a result, she limped. Tourists who she carried complained about the unstable, wobbly ride.

No one really seemed to care how SHE felt at all.

Sook Sai’s ankle did not heal properly but still she was worked.

Because of the complaints her trekking days ended.                  But her working days did not.

Next, she became a street begging elephant. This was also short lived because people DID complain about her injured foot and walking on the hard concrete. The mahout did not enjoy being criticized all the time so he took her back home.

Sadly, Sook Sai’s days of exploitation and abuse were far from over…

As is the norm for many a female elephant who have a break which prohibits them from working, she was put in a ‘forced breeding program’. There are many methods of forced breeding – and it happens all around the world, not just in Thailand. Baby elephants are a valuable commodity, one which handicapped females can produce for their owners when other means of employment are not an option. BUT – quite often the stress of the injury and the long recovery causes the female’s estrous cycle to fall dormant. Sadly, determined owners will often disregard this possibility, instead choosing to force their elephant to withstand multiple mating incidents over a course of days, weeks and sometimes months.

Like so many others, Sook Sai did not become pregnant.                  Her owner became frustrated and mostly abandoned her.

She stood handcuffed and chained to a tree with barely any room to move, a wall of her own dung slowly rising around her.

She often went without food and water because of her owner’s lack of interest in her.

Sook Sai was neglected and left to stand in her own feces.

After all, to him she was just some THING to make money with…. not some ONE who had needs or feelings.

Thankfully, she was brought to our attention and her life of solitary sadness could come to an end.

Jack Lanting and Sook Sai

This would not have been possible without the generous donations from the many people who helped fund this rescue. Two of the biggest donors hail from New Zealand and held fundraising campaigns – none other than 13 year old Jack Lanting and his mom, Viv. Jack has been raising awareness for elephants since he was 9 years old!

Tracy and Sook Sai.

Another Kiwi, Tracy Hand connected with Viv and Jack and they worked together to come up with more than half of the funds needed for Sook Sai.

A big thanks also goes out to the International School of Bangkok, NIST (New International School of Thailand) and AB Lucas School of Canada for funds donated.

Life at ENP – Sook Sai turns into a big kid when she gets time with Navann!

Sook Sai meeting some of the ENP herd.

The post Sook Sai settles in appeared first on Save Elephant Foundation - Online News.

At the moment, we have a few elephants who are confined to their shelters while they are being treated for abscesses or foot problems. Once again, we have taken to creating enrichment toys to help ease their boredom while stimulating their sense of curiousity and problem solving.

We roam around the park looking for tires, branches and discarded boxes that can be used safely. We take a trip to the jungle and cut off bamboo branches that have already been knocked down by elephants and find other plant life that might be interesting. We then snatch up bundles of elephant grass and banana leaves. From there we head to the elephant kitchen and find various fruits and veg that can also be stuffed into the boxes and tires.

Now it is time to have fun and get creative!

We figure out unique ways to stuff the tires and place and hang things in the shelters that will generate interest without being dangerous. Our most important recipient of enrichment suprises is Chang Yim. At the end of the day, Chang Yim never wants to go back to the shelter and it often takes lots of excess food and cajoling to get him in. We are trying to make it so that returning to his shelter is a positive thing and he is eager to do so. He has had suprises waiting for him for the last three days, each day with less hesitation upon entering. Yesterday, he rushed in and went right to his enrichment eagerly. The success was such that he was not even interested in the food that the mahouts were carrying, instead he jumped right into busily deconstructing his toy.

Hope and Jungle Boy each get a tire stuffed with low calorie surprises. At the moment, we have been lucky to have cucumber in the elephant kitchen. The boys love cucumber and they can eat as much of it as they want, so we have taken advantage of this fact. Some of our elephants with poor digestion get their watermelon peeled … we pack the watermelon rind into tires and seal them with banana leaves for the boys as well. They are a good source of fiber, cool and refreshing as well as a healthy treat.

The volunteers who have been involved in the creation of the enrichment have enjoyed themselves greatly. This is a fun activity with a great pay off. It is very rewarding to deliver the tires to the elephants and observe how they react to them… but the best part is watching Chang Yim enter his shelter to discover what is waiting for him!

The post Elephant enrichment project appeared first on Save Elephant Foundation - Online News.

For the past eight years,  ENP has been fortunate to start each year with a special volunteer group known as the “Power of One.” They arrive on January first, bringing with them their own special blend of peace, love, happiness, inspiration and HOPE. Their visit is a perfect start for the New Year!

The Power of One strike a pose during their show.

Americans Juelle and Donovan, founders of the non-profit Blue Star of Hope, believe in inspiring young people. They achieve this through volunteer experiences, cross-cultural immersion, story telling, discussion, hard work, laughter, crying, singing and dancing. The end result is amazing and beautiful.

A main focus of the Power of One is promoting the idea of the global village, where people from many cultures can come together, share their experiences and work towards saving the world’s animals, the environment that sustains all of us and promoting peace and unity. This project is designed for young people aged 14 and older who are the next generation of caretakers of not only the Asian elephant, but our fragile planet as well. It is important that they become inspired and aware.

Volunteering at ENP can be a life-changing experience and positively influence a teenager.
This year’s group hailed from Thailand, USA, Australia, South Africa and England. During their week-long stay they worked very hard preparing ele-food in the elephant kitchen, scooping ele poo and collecting stones to build pillars that will protect the trees in the park. Besides the normal volunteer jobs they had a few special activities of their own. One of these is to help protect the forests that surround ENP. They do this by tying scarves blessed by Buddhist monks around trees so that they are made sacred and cannot be cut down. The venerable Arjarn from Wat Kao Mai Rueak Buddhist temple in Baan Krud, who is a dear friend and mentor of Juelle and Donovan, comes each year to join in the tree blessing event that has become a Power of One tradition.

Other activities that are a tradition since their first visit are: giving Power of One T-shirts to all of the mahouts, bringing donations for hilltribe and refugee people AND the main event …entertaining ENP staff and other guests with !SHOWTIME! comprised of various skits, magic, Thai dance, African dance and western dance/comedy, on their last night at the park. Hosted by Power of One emcee Sylvia, this gala glitzy evening is filled with fun, festivity and laughter.

Juelle and Dono fundraise to be able to sponsor the kids and mentors from South Africa and Thailand. The South Africans come from the Botshabelo orphanage, another project that the Blue Star of Hope supports. The wonderful melting pot of cultures and personalities that the Power of One bring together make for an uplifting and inspiring week. All things seem possible and it is evident how each of us, in our own way can really make a difference and show the strength in the power of ONE.

A big THANK YOU to Lek and Darrick for creating a place where all this is possible, to Juelle and Dono for their amazing vision, to Chet the fabulous volunteer coordinator who keeps everything running smoothly for the week and, of course, to all of the Power of One participants for giving their all. The biggest thanks of all goes to the ELEPHANTS … who continue to bring us all together.
To learn more about the Power of One and Blue Star of Hope visit their website: www.bluestarofhope.org

The post ENP Rings in New Year with Power of One appeared first on Save Elephant Foundation - Online News.

Visitors take a leisurely jungle walk with Muoy’s elephants.

This is now a reality, thanks to the launch of the new Pamper a Pachyderm tour operating out of Chiang Mai.

The brave and amazing camp owner, Muoy, leads the group through the jungle.

The new tour, which came about when camp owner Muoy Khamwichia approached Lek to learn more about Elephant Nature Park and how it operated. The result is a beautiful new partnership with between two woman with the best interests of elephants in mind. And, hopefully, the start of a new trend of trekking camps adopting the same practices — no rides, no shows, no hooks.

A guest walks with one of the elephants on the Pamper a Pachyderm tour.

Beginning on New Year’s Day, travelers have been able to participate in this program, which is a day-long, and introduces them to a special elephant in an intimate setting.

A week later, we are so pleased to report the tour has started off a success! Thank you so much to Muoy for being so brave and operating this program!

This girl loves to get dirty on the Pamper a Pachyderm Tour!

Only open to six people per day (two guests per elephant), visitors to Muoy’s camp get to spend one-on-one time with an elephant, learning about the animal, watching her eat, scratch, bathe and get reacquainted to life off of chains. Then, after a morning of spending time with the elephant, the group heads out on a jungle walk with the three elephants in the program, ending with a vegetarian picnic lunch before going on raft adventure ending at Elephant Nature Park. The afternoon is spent at ENP before the group returns to the city.

The tour is 6000 baht per person and is limited to only six people. Bookings can be made online or by visiting our office.

The post Pamper a Pachyderm: New Elephant Tour Launches in Chiang Mai appeared first on Save Elephant Foundation - Online News.

Thai (over Dok Mai) shares a precious moment with her family herd.

Even within the family unit things are not always harmonious. Mae Thai and Mae Sri Nuan are sometimes at odds with one another. Dok Ngern’s son Chang Yim (whom Sri Nuan is very protective of) often starts head-butting matches with old Mae Thai. Of course, she thinks that she should be able to give him her all and try to put him in his place as an elder female in the herd should. And of course as a cocky four-year-old (who acts like he is going on 20!) Chang Yim also thinks this is a great game and has no intentions of backing down to the old grandma. As a result of this stubborn stand off, massive Mae Sri Nuan will often meander over menacingly, ready for an intervention of which Mae Thai will bear the brunt. “How dare she push my boy,” Sri Nuan seems to be thinking … to which Mae Thai mentally replies: “He started it!”

And so it goes …

Between the family drama and the poor social skills, Mae Thai is often seen on the fringes of her group and kept out of some of their more social activities such as close-up time with the guests or mingling with Navann’s family. There are times when it seems that Mae Thai does not mind being on her own and other moments when it is evident she would like to be in the midst of her herd.

Mae Thai tries to back off Mae Tee who is trying to pay a visit to the other members of the family group.

Over the past few years, Mae Thai has sought companionship with someone she never would have considered in the past – none other than ‘Sir’ Hope!

This is a hilarious development if you know their past. When Hope was around Faa Mai’s age, Mae Thai had no patience for him and his daily antics at the mud pit, often playing too rough with ‘her’ beloved little Tong Jaan. She used to consider him no less than an annoying little brat!

Mae Thai with Faa Sai and ‘Sir’ Hope.

Mae Thai has always been thought of as a spinster — no longer able to get pregnant and no interest in males. BUT — her interest was rekindled a few years back when Hope ‘came of age’ and became quite popular with the other gals in Thai’s family.

Hope was busy planting his seed where he could, feeling quite grown up and satisfied with himself. With no adult bulls around to dominate Hope, he began to feel that he could dominate some of the older females who used to push him around when he was younger. Hope was sure that Mae Thai would be just as willing to accept his reproductive advances as Sri Nuan, Mae Bua Tong and Dok Ngern were. Suprisingly, he turned out to be right!

Mae Thai enjoying a trunk drape from her boy toy Hope.

At first, Mae Thai was downright afraid and offended by Hope’s persistence. Knowing running away would only provoke a chase, she eventually gave in and allowed him to have his way. Much to her astonishment, Thai found that she actually enjoyed this long forgotten interaction and as a result she became a bit of a ‘cougar’. She still hangs out with Hope quite regularly.

Many older female elephants can be quite stubborn and set in their ways. Mae Thai is a prime example of this! After a full life of submitting to humans in the working world followed by 10 years of retirement with no riding or bull hooks, Mae Thai does not like to listen. She really only respects and responds to a mahout who is experienced and knows what he is doing. If a mahout does not fit this description there will be a battle of wills, one of which Mae Thai will most likely be the winner. Because she is part of a big family group and the mahouts work as a collective of sorts, Thai is quite often assigned a young and inexperienced mahout. It is known that one of the more experienced mahouts will need to come to his aid multiple times a day. Mae Thai is highly annoyed by the bumbling attempts of a boy young enough to be her grandson, thinking he can tell her what to do!! She postures threateningly, snorting her exasperation, rooting her feet firmly to the ground she stands on, refusing to budge. Knowing there are limitations to the force that can be used to get an elephant to cooperate at ENP, a few of Mae Thai’s teenage mahouts have nearly been brought to tears of frustration, with no sympathy from weathered old Thai. She is a gal of her own mind and we love her the way she is.

The only elephant in the herd left without a sponsor

Cantankerous Mae Thai … what a character!! Somehow, Mae Thai has been overlooked and is the only elephant in the ENP who has not yet been fostered! Mae Thai feels left out. PLEASE foster Mae Thai for your favorite grandma or feisty friend or family member, TODAY.

With the Christmas holiday looming ahead, fostering an elephant is a gift that gives and gives!! When you give a gift of a fostering you are not cluttering up one’s home with stuff, or polluting the environment with excess packaging. Your funds help care for all of the animals here at ENP and the recipient gets updates with pictures of their foster elephant multiple times a year. The perfect gift!!!

The post Spotlight: Grandma Auntie Mae Thai appeared first on Save Elephant Foundation - Online News.

Right after Elephant Nature Park settled at this location, Dam became the mahout of Mae Keow, Lek’s third elephant. He cared for her for almost a year. Dam then decided to leave for a while, but after about 10 months he came back hoping to yet again look after one of the ENP’s herd.

Not long after Dam’s departure, we rescued a bull elephant named Kham Meun. When Dam returned, we hired him back because he had experience working with hard to manage bulls, so he was put with Kham Meun. Dam looked after Kham Meun for about a year.

… And then we had an even bigger job for Dam, though in a smaller package!

Hope was just past 5-years-old when the mahout who was caring for him decided to go back home. Dam was asked to take over the very demanding job of managing Hope, who was well on his way to being the busiest elephant in the park. That first day when Dam became Hope’s mahout, was one of the luckiest days of Hope’s life. Hope was very fortunate to have such a patient, confident and accomplished mahout looking after him for the next 3 1/2 years — very formative years for a young bull.

Dam worked with Hope daily and using positive reinforcement taught Hope to respond to all the basic commands needed to keep him in control. Dam has an amazing way with elephants. They respond to his nature cooperatively, sensing that Dam knows what he is doing. Dam never uses excessive force or intimidation to get the response he needs from an elephant.

Dam enjoyed caring for Hope. Hope was content having Dam as his mahout. But, soon after the birth of Faa Sai, Dam felt that he needed a change. He was ready for a less demanding elephant. Having a baby meant needing more time off and that is not easy for the mahout of Hope. A second mahout was hired and the slow change over began.

Once Hope accepted his new mahout Dam took over the care of another elephant, this time a middle aged, very slow female named Mae Kham Geao. Mae Kham Geao was the polar opposite of Hope. Dam went from feisty, fast, spirited, mischievous male to slow, calm, predictable female. In short, Dam went from the most difficult elephant in the park to the easiest elephant in the park, almost like a permanent paid vacation!

For the next 3 1/2 years Dam was the mahout of Mae Kham Geao. Despite being very mild mannered, Mae Kham Geao was a special needs elephant, so Dam’s expertise was not lost on her. Mae Kham Geao moved at an incredibly slow pace and was a bit stubborn. A patient, experienced mahout was a must.

One of Dam’s many great qualities is the fact that he actually spends a good amount of time touching and engaging with the elephant in his care. More often than not, you will find Dam checking behind the ears and around the neck picking off tiny ticks. They may only be a very mild annoyance to the elephant, but the act of Dam gently touching his elephant regularly, creates in the elephant a strong sense of trust for Dam. Positive touch is very important in building a good mahout elephant relationship. This is essential when there is a stressful situation and a mahout needs to keep the elephant in control. The elephant may cooperate with the mahout more willingly as they feel safe with, and respect, the mahout without being afraid. This is how elephants respond to Dam and what makes him more special than the average mahout.

During Mae Kham Geao’s last days, Dam never left her side. He did everything in his power to make sure that she was comfortable. When she let go, Dam was there to say goodbye.

After Mae Kham Geao’s passing, Dam decided he wanted a career change. There is always an ongoing construction project of some sort going on here at ENP and Dam wanted to try his hand at welding. We thought it was a waste of a perfectly good mahout, but it seemed unfair to limit Dam’s experience and hold him back from learning a skilled trade … so, off went one of the best mahouts at ENP to ply the trade of welding. We could not help but feel a little bit sad.

Thankfully, the elephant gods had a plan!

Dam’s welding career was cut short by the arrival of Navann. When Sri Prae suprised us that morning with a new born calf, only days after her mahout had decided to leave, Dam was back on the job. Considering that the elephants born here will not be tortured into submission, having a competent, patient mahout is imperative to rearing a young calf — especially a bull. The timing was perfect. We breathed a sigh of relief knowing that Navann was in the care of Dam.

October 28, 2013 was Navann’s first birthday. Dam has taught him much in his first year of life as well as allowing him ample free time to just be a young elephant doted on by his mother and aunties. Navann’s days are long and full of learning, fun and new experiences.

At 6:30 a.m., many of our mahouts are just getting out of bed or still eating their breakfast. Dam, on the other hand, is already on the job, escorting Navann, Sri Prae, Mae Kham Paan and Dao Tong out to their favorite area in the field. The sunrise causes the morning dew covered grass to glisten.

While the elephants graze peacefully, taking in trunkfuls of the fresh morning air, Dam perches on a fallen log, pulls a block of wood from his bag and deftly begins to carve it into a miniature version of Navann. There is a sense of comfortable companionship and peace between the five of them. Navann, his devoted aunties and mother are very appreciative to be out roaming freely at such an early hour. They seem to know how lucky they are to have Dam as the head mahout of their family group.

We are certainly aware of how lucky we are to have Dam looking after Navann’s family. Mahouts like Dam who really care and take pride in what they do are a rare thing in this day and age. Thank you Dam, for all of your years of care and loyalty to the elephants of ENP!

The post Meet the Mahout: Navann’s Dam appeared first on Save Elephant Foundation - Online News.

The foot window is not yet completed. There will be two adjustable/removable bars for the foot to rest on. The stool is only temporary.

Foot care is one of the most important aspects of elephant health and management. Our goal is to be able to treat our elephants with the least amount of stress possible. Because of abusive treatment in the past, most of our elephants are not comfortable with having their feet, ears or rear ends touched. They become very agitated and defensive when they are put in a situation when this is a necessary. Positive reinforcement based target training helps to de-sensitize the elephant from being touched in the areas needed and helps them to see the interaction as non-threatening.

Patience and kindness as well as the ability to read the elephant’s eyes and body language are essential for the trainers to be successful. Also, a full understanding of the exactness of the training method is an absolute must.

At the moment Chang Yim, Faa Mai, Faa Sai, Dani, Mae Jan Peng, Mae Keow, Mae Jampaa, Mae Bua Loy and Mae Boon Ma are participating in daily training sessions at the training wall. Some of our elephants who are not yet comfortable with coming to the training wall are having de-sensitization sessions for foot care at the riverside. Those currently receiving foot care and participating willingly are Mae Lanna, Mae Jan Peng and Dani. Medo, Sao Yai and Mae Bua Kham are moving forward with the de-sensitization process.

It is so rewarding to see what a difference it makes when dominance and intimidation are removed from a situation and how calm and cooperative an elephant can be when they are ASKED to participate and not FORCED to participate.

The post Positive reinforcement target training and foot care program back in action! appeared first on Save Elephant Foundation - Online News.

Note how far behind Mae Tee the medical center is. Mae Tee really enjoys roaming far and wide.

She is enjoying fleeting interactive moments with Dok Mai, Dok Ngern and the other sociable members of that extended family group. She sometimes has pushing matches with Chang Yim.

Mae Tee gives the young bull, Chang Yim, a good shove.

Mae Tee arrived to Elephant Nature Park just over four years ago in very poor condition. Because of the abuses and maltreatment she suffered in her past, Mae Tee has stiff front wrists and deteriorating ankle joints. She does not lay down to sleep at night because her joints are too stiff and weak to support lifting her weight back up. She is ALWAYS on her feet — they never get a rest. Mae Tee has spent much of her time here at and around our elephant clinic. Soon after her arrival, abscesses erupted on her back feet and later, on her front feet as well.

We call upon CMU Wildlife Specialist Veterinary team to oversee any issues that require their expertise. They assess the problem and give us a treatment plan to follow. We have park veterinarians, staff and veterinarian volunteers who carry out the prescribed procedures. If we are unsure of anything, we consult the CMU team.

We could have taken Mae Tee to the elephant hospital at Lampang. Because it is a government run facility the care is free, but we felt that the four-hour ride to the hospital would be too stressful for Mae Tee. Instead, we choose to employ the services of the CMU veterinarians, because they will come to the park to treat our elephants in the enviornment where they feel the most comfortable.

In the west, an elephant in Mae Tee’s condition would very likely have been euthanized by now. Because of the Buddhist morals here in Thailand, there is much to be considered before euthanasia. No one will put down an elephant if they are still standing. From our daily observations of Mae Tee, it is very obvious that she has a strong will to live and get what she can out of life. In fact, Mae Tee has surprised even us. Last October, she lost her best friend who was a bit younger. We felt that Mae Tee might just give up after losing her constant companion of more than three years, but she was determined to keep going. It now seems that her friend might have been holding her back, as she is more active than ever.

Over the past year-and-a-half, the condition of Mae Tee’s feet has improved greatly.

Mae Tee’s feet are scrubbed twice daily with a mixture of chlorhexadine and water and rinsed with warm salt water.

To keep Mae Tee’s foot in the right position, her foot must be secured to the pole, hence the strap around her leg. If we did not tether her, she would move away. No hook or intimidation is used to keep her still. Just the strap and a basket of food.

Mae Tee receives daily care which includes foot soaks and twice-a-day cleanings. Mae Tee is allowed to roam freely in between treatments and travels quite far from the medical center at a slow but steady pace.

Mae Tee seems to be showing off her feet for the camera.

She enjoys mud baths and engaging with some of the younger elephants who reside at ENP.

Mae Tee enjoying a moment with Dok Ngern, Dok Mai and family.

Mae Tee enjoys interacting with Faa Mai.

There will come a time when Mae Tee’s issues will become more than she can bear, despite constant care. Her age and aches and pains will catch up with her and she will lie down. We will know when it is time to let her go and we will not hesitate to do what is best for her.

Mae Tee soaks up the rain.

But for now, Mae Tee is going strong! She has made it clear to us that she has much more to do before her time is finished!

The post Mae Tee stays determined appeared first on Save Elephant Foundation - Online News.

Rumbles, roars and chirps erupted at around 12:15 a.m. on August 25th breaking the midnight silence, announcing the arrival of a new born calf. Stirred to consciousness by the vocalizations, bleary eyed ENP staff sprung from their beds. Grabbing flashlights and cameras, they rushed to the elephant shelters to catch a glimpse of the newest member of our herd.

Lovely, lively, vocal Mintra had given birth to a baby boy. At first glance he looked all legs, which splayed wide as he tried to figure out what to do with them. Within a 30 minutes he took his first wobbly steps. He was named Yin Dee, which means “pleasure.”

Two days previous, it was evident that Mintra would go into labor soon. She was acting as if she felt uncomfortable, milk was flowing from her breasts and she was roaring all day long. Malai Tong had become very attentive to Mintra, spending more time with her than Mae Jarunee and repeatedly touching Mintra’s breasts and vulva.

At around 4 p.m., Mintra chose to go visit the 13-year-old bull, Hope. She seemed to calm down and backed up to him softly chirping. Her best friend, Mae Jampaa, who is usually wary of the bulls, stayed on the sidelines at first. Soon her concern and desire to be close to Mintra overrode her fear and she backed up to Hope as well. Hope calmly sniffed the ladies, trunk draped a bit on Mae Jampaa after which they all seemed to lose interest. Mintra and Jampaa were led to their shelter.

The story of Mintra

Mintra is around 18-years-old. She has been with us just over four years. Before her arrival, Mintra spent most of her life on the streets of Bangkok, plying her sad trade as a beggar. We were told that she was hit by a vehicle when she was four. She has two dislocated hips as a result. Because of this accident, mahouts never rode Mintra and she has no hook scars on her forehead –but she has a more disturbing scar — a missing nipple. Her previous owner told Lek that this injury occurred during her initial training when she was bound tightly with ropes, forcing her to submit. She struggled against the ropes and her nipple was pinched so tightly, the end was torn off.

Despite such sad beginnings, Mintra has a very ‘happy-go-lucky’ attitude. She is an extremely social elephant who wasted no time getting right in to the thick of the ENP soap opera. Immediately upon arrival, everybody wanted her to join their group! She spent her first week in the park rushing around roaring with excitement and holding contests to see who responded to her calls the quickest.

Once settled in, Mintra showed us yet another facet of her personality — her flirty side.

She sought out the attention of both Hope and Jungle Boy, initiating interaction. From the start, she seemed to be particularly interested in the younger of the two bulls. At that time, the boys were too young to impregnate a female, their fumbling acts innocent, yet determined practice. With her dislocated hips and missing nipple, we had often wondered whether Mintra would have complications giving birth or nursing, and if she even ovulated at all.

The cold season from November 2011 to February 2012 was a very active period for our herd. Undetected by our weak sense of smell, the scent of ele-pheromones was heavy in the air, creating an amorous vibe. Reproduction was never encouraged, but there were occasions when both Mintra and her boy of the moment were in the mood. When desire is mutual between two free roaming elephants, not much can be done to discourage their actions.

Interestingly, we were not the only ones concerned about Mintra’s increased infatuation in the males.

Both Mae Dta Keow and Mae Jampaa seemed to feel anxious about the males interest in their young friend. They tried to divert the boys at all costs, even going so far as to offer themselves as an alternative to the irresistible smelling Mintra. In the end their efforts were in vain … despite all of their attempts at diversion, Mintra became pregnant.

Today

And thankfully, though all of our worries were warranted, Mintra had an uneventful pregnancy, a smooth birth and the milk flows freely from the milk ducts of the damaged breast!

On the morning of the 26th, Dok Mai’s family rushed over as soon as they were released from their shelters to say hello to the new calf. As usual, it was an exciting affair with much squeaking, rumbling and outstretched trunks as Mintra proudly showed off her baby. Mae Jampaa and ultra auntie Malai Tong were already stationed in the space next to Mintra so that they could be as close as possible.

It took about 24 hours before Mintra and Yin Dee got synchronized. Mintra has a deep body and shorter legs. Yin Dee was just a bit too tall to get under her easily. At first, Mintra was not moving her fore legs forward to allow her calf to drink. Yin Dee was desperate to suckle and latched onto anything he could get his mouth on. The nipple-less breast was swollen with milk. When Mintra did allow access to that breast, Yin Dee had quite a hard time figuring out how to latch on. He kept trying to access his milk supply by facing Mintra and groping in between her legs. For the first few days we observed closely and gently guided him to the right position. Mintra started moving her leg forward to make nursing easier and in no time Yin Dee became more adept at finding the breasts.

Now at three-weeks-old, Yin Dee is becoming more playful, vocal and confident with each passing day. Mae Jampaa is patiently waiting for the moment when she will be officially introduced and begin her role as auntie. Malai Tong is also spending a good part of each day loitering around, always ready to love and help tend to any baby available. It is too early to predict who will become the Yin Dee groupies, though Mintra is friendly with most anybody, crotchety Mae Jampaa may not be so accepting. We can only hope that little Yin Dee will bring out the softer side in Jampaa and that she will come to learn that when it comes to rearing a calf, there is safety and security in numbers … and always enough love to go around.

The post Mintra blesses us with a baby boy – welcome Yin Dee!!!! appeared first on Save Elephant Foundation - Online News.