There are many social groups within our herd of elephants who reside at Elephant Nature Park. For some, we never know what tomorrow will bring, while others have a rather predictable routine. Read on and you will have a glimpse into their complex relationships …
In our last post about Navann and his ever changing line up of doting aunties, Dao Tong had joined the group much to the dismay of Mae Jarunee, who moved off to the sidelines in an act of protest. Faa Mai, Faa Sai, Tong Jaan, even Mae Bua Tong and Chang Yim had been spending lots of time with Navann, causing Mae Keow and Dani to lose their confidence to approach the irresistible young bull. Malai Tong was quite busy between keeping Mae Jarunee company, checking in with Navann and flitting around like the social butterfly that she is catching up with old friends.
Things have changed yet again since our last update highlighting the Navann auntie situation, the biggest change being that new baby elephant Dok Mai and mum, Dok Ngern, are now also out roaming free all day. As a result of this new development, the junior aunties Faa Mai, Tong Jaan and Faa Sai are much more focused on Dok Mai and rarely wandering over to see Navann.
Dok Mai plays with new aunties Faa Sai, Faa Mai and Tong Jaan
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.
At Elephant Nature Park, we are fortunate to have three sets of mothers and babies. Typically, motherhood ends in heartbreak in the captive elephant world so these unbroken bonds between mom and baby elephant are even more significant and cherished. It is well known that female elephants are incredibly maternal and nurturing calves comes as second nature.
Being a mahout at Elephant Nature Park is quite different than being a mahout elsewhere. We encourage our mahouts to let the elephants do what they want and not intervene unless it is necessary. If they have prior experience working…
It is hard to imagine anything more amazing than Kham Sai’s acceptance into the family group – but (!) there is yet another exciting social development in the works here at Elephant Nature Park … and it involves Mae Keow.
Many of our followers are quite familiar with Mae Keow. Almost two years ago she lost her best friend of 12 years, Lily. The passing of her dear companion shattered Mae Keow, who has not been the same since. With Lily by her side, Mae Keow was confident, sometimes a bully (known as a tail-biter) and possessive (when she was the adopted auntie of Jungle Boy,) among other things.
After Lily’s passing, Mae Keow appeared to lose her self confidence. She became shy and reclusive. She seemed to lack the social skills to make new friends and had passive/aggressive tendancies. Her only companion was her mahout of 4-plus years, Moses.
Mae Keow withdrew.
She spent most of her time up in the front corner of the park, only coming out to go to the river for bathing time. We were very worried about her, but we understood that her emotional healing had to happen in it’s own time.
A recent change in the elephant shelter arrangement became the first step in helping Mae Keow to reach out socially.
Elephant Nature Park has been waiting for this moment for a long time.
This is a story we have been longing to post. One of our most shy and withdrawn elephants, who has spent almost all of her years at Save Elephant Foundation’s ENP on her own, has finally found the friendship that she has been longing for!! The elusive Mae Kham Sai has been mentioned from time to time and known as one of our reclusive and seldom seen elephants.
Mae Kham Sai with the family herd.
Without more land, there can be no more elephants …
Ten years ago, when Elephant Nature Park first moved to the Mae Taeng valley the area was virtually undeveloped. From Mae Tamman onward, the road was rutted gravel two track, which made for a challenging drive in the rainy season. The thick forest on either side threatened to engulf the road, giving one the feeling that you were heading well off-the-beaten-path. The final bumpy descent passes a sacred spirit house nestled tight against the rocky mountainside (to honor the spirit of the mountain who has claimed a few lives in the past) followed by a sharp curve and then — voila — it seemed you had reached paradise!
The jungle and mountains opened up to reveal a fertile valley with a river winding, snake-like. From the road there were no signs of habitation anywhere … several extremely large boulders lay clustered and scattered about the landscape. But wait — one of the boulders was moving! WOW … ELEPHANTS!!!
…and there was Elephant Nature Park … in the beginning.
Dear, amazing, determined, resilient Kwanjai. What she has been through, and how well she has done despite it all, is truly incredible.
Kwanjai arrived to Save Elephant Foundation’s Elephant Nature Park in late 2010. When rescued she was already on “her last legs” and we were unsure how long she would be with us.
Originally called “Lamyai,” her name was changed to Kwanjai when she arrived to the park, in honor of her much deserved retirement and new life. Kwanjai promptly decided that she was not quite ready to give up. You could almost hear her thinking “FINALLY! No trekking seat, no logging harness, no bull hook, no ignorant tourists or mahouts riding on me…I am sticking around to get the most I can out of this place!'”
And so she did.