Gentle Giants

Hans' sandal dangled about 10' off the ground before he deftly flicked it back onto his foot. We were atop a huge elephant lumbering through the jungle.

We learned many cool facts about elehpants, including how intelligent they are. For example, after they finish their work at the elephant camp, they are given free time to roam in the jungle. In order for the mahoud to find his elephant, each one is equipped with a different bell and when he wants his elephant back, he can easily find it by following the sound. I guess they don't wander too far off.

However, sometimes the elephants want a little more free time. Not only do they realize the significance of the bell and that it enables them to be found, they have also discovered that by stuffing river mud into the bell housing it can't ring. Ergo, they can't be found. More free time to frolic and play!

The elephant camp is a way for the elephants to support themselves. You pay for the rides, there's an elephant show, and you can tip the elephant. Hans did this, reaching a 20baht bill towards its trunk. It deftly plucked the bill from his hand and then pulled him closer with his trunk, curling it around his hips as his brother elephant did the same from the other side. Hans was curled in an elephant hug. Too cute.

Later one of the other men tipped the elephant and this one plucked his cap off his head, then replaced it and patted him on the head.

Part of the show demonstrated the elephants as artists. They teach the young elephants in "grade school" how to paint. As they get older, they graduate to "high school" and are left to paint by themselves, carrying their box of paints into the clearing before an easel set up by their mahouds. The first elephant did an exquisite painting of a single red flower with black stem and green leaves. We bought it.

Most of the other elephants also painted flowers, some in bouquets. One elephant liked to paint with one foot in the air. then he would step back, look at his work, move forward and pick up another brush to continue, again with foot in the air. Amazing. One elephant did a profile of an elephant's head in black.


At right, you see the elephants having a bath and loving it!

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