Jungle StoriesAndrew TaylorLearning to ride an Elephant was never going to be easy. But, I did learn one thing….
Elephants were once an integral part of the teak timber industry. Now regrettably their numbers are decreasing, victims of ivory poaching, mechanization and changing economic times. A wonderful bond has developed between these elephants and their trainers. It started centuries ago, when the Thai Ramas or Kings kept armies of war elephants to fend off border attacks from the neighboring Burmese. Decked out in their colorful battle dress and heavy armour, elephants made a formidable enemy. As we arrive at the training camp, dozens of tourists are already waiting to see one of Thailand’s best known tourist attractions “Elephant bathing”. Nearly every tourist brochure you’ll see in Thailand will show a picture of elephants lying down in a river enjoying a cool morning scrub. At Mae Malai, elephant bathing is a real tourist showpiece, and is greatly enjoyed by visitors from all over the world. The elephants arrive after the tour parties and wade through the crowd to get to the river. Of course getting to the water is no problem for the elephants. The tourists quickly scramble out of their way. As the elephants pick their way through the crowd, I’m struck by the grace and poise of these jungle giants. They’re not bungling awkward creatures, and have a dexterity and intelligence I would never have given them credit for. After the morning bathing, there is an opportunity for the thrill seekers amongst us to feed the elephants. Mae Malai’s elephants have developed a ravenous appetite for sugar cane and bananas. But a warning sign asks you not to hold your elephant’s food and your camera in the same hand. Apparently cameras don’t taste nice. Large bundles of sugar cane quickly disappear down the elephants throats. They must have molars the size of tree trunks. Ever inventive, the elephants can be seen taking food from tourists while storing previous catches on their heads. After the feeding frenzy is over, the elephants go back stage to ready themselves for their morning’s performance. Head stands, knee stands, and balancing tricks. You name it they do it! They walk on their front legs, then on their back legs. They even play a short game of soccer. Believe me, the world cup is in danger of ending up here, never to be retrieved! Log handling skills make up a major component of the show. Working as a team the elephants can quickly push large numbers of very heavy logs into a stack. They are very impressive to watch in action.
We amble up the bush track for about 20 minutes until my mahout jumps off our steed and disappears. “Ok” I think. So, here I am on top of this 5 tonne mammal, what do I do next? Before I can workout an escape plan he reappears above me on the bank. The mahout issues instructions to my elephant which is lucky; the way ahead looked somewhat complicated. My amused mahout seems to be having a great deal of fun at my predicament. I'm told to undo the safety rope and slip down onto the elephant’s head. This is an elephant’s version of a space walk. Safely seated on the elephant’s head with my feet behind his ears (which I hope he washed this morning), I’m photographed to prove to the disbeliever’s back home that I really did ride the elephant all by myself. I can tell from the noise behind me that the two Canadian ladies on elephant No.24 have just lost contact with mission control. Their mahout dashes off into the undergrowth and doesn't reappear for several minutes. When he does reappear he has a bottle of frozen drink. Not that the ladies want a drink, having someone in control would be more to their liking. Much to their relief he quickly climbs back on board and takes over again. The ladies didn't appreciate riding an elephant in auto pilot mode, and stayed firmly in their chair.
Riding the elephants at the Mae Malai is “ Eco-Tourism” at its very best and is a must when you come to Chiangmai. Sights and experiences to enjoy while in Chiangmai.
Day tours can be booked through any office of Thai Air International or Royal Orchid Holidays. http://www.thaiair.com/ |
|
TM
If your Elephant should come into season while you are riding along you could be in for a great deal of trouble! This was one of the interesting things we learnt at Thailands Mae Malai Elephant training school. Mae Malai is situated just 20 minutes from Chiangmai city in northern Thailand and is the counties foremost elephant training camp. Here elephants are taught the skills needed for a life logging the teak forests of Thailand’s Golden Triangle. 
As soon as the show is over, it’s time to “Ride The Elephants”. We climb aboard our elephant from a loading ramp which looks like something used for loading NASA astronauts. When safely seated in my chair, many “G forces” are unleashed as we lunge off up the track after the other elephants in our group. The safety rope, tied across the front of the chair is an extremely good idea. I wonder if NASA provides its astronauts with safety ropes? Our route takes us up a narrow hill valley. My mahout (driver) has been training elephants for 25 years. He says the Indian elephants usually begin their training at the age of five and can take up to 14 months to train. He also tells me, the males only grow tusks, and an elephant’s life span is about 70 years. African elephants aren’t used here, as they are too unpredictable. Their wild stompings wouldn’t make an enjoyable tourist attraction!
One hour later we cross a small river and end our walk back at the loading ramp. After fond farewells, we reach terra firma.