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Along side growling motorcycles and a few bizarre three-wheeled Tuk-Tuks was a gray mass of a size larger than a Land Rover. A huge elephant with the mahout on its neck is patiently waiting for a green light on a busy street in Bangkok. At night time like this, this very same elephant triggers a great deal of curiosity from a driver of the following car since he saw almost nothing but a swinging break light attached on its tail.
 Since
Thailand’s timber industry has been in decline, it is
no longer unusual to see elephants making a living in a
city of Bangkok. But that is not a real reflection of
these mighty creatures. Elephants had long been
inextricably connected to Thai people in different ways;
a traditional symbol of monarchy, an essential part of
Buddhist art and architecture and a trusted vehicle in a
full-scaled battle. However, elephants have another role
that is commonly known among Thai people. An
entertainer! As the matter of fact, they are quite an
entertainer and love to be the center of attention.
There are several elephant camps in Thailand where tourists can see elephant shows such as Mae Sa Elephant Camps and Chiang Dao elephant camp in Chiang Mai, Thai Elephant Conservation Center in Lampang and Surin Elephant Camp in Surin Province. The shows include demonstrations of strength and versatility of the elephant from pulling logs and a tug of war to dancing and drawing. Those who get itchy and cannot sit still can volunteer to be among one of the objects to be picked up by elephant using its trunk. If that won’t give enough thrilling time, then they might try one more thing, lying on the ground and let the elephant cross over. Often the mischievous elephant (or mahout!) would want to give a participant a “massage” by using its front leg to tap slightly on the lying body. A more adventurous attempt would be to go for a ride.
Visitors can enjoy elephant rides on various trekking
expenditures - sitting on a wooden seat fastened on back
of a 3-metre high elephant might require some physical
and emotional readiness. If the activities mentioned above have not satisfied the elephant enthusiasts, a more hands on program should be considered. At some conservation parks, visitors can immerse themselves in the culturally enriched trip by learning about the lifestyle of both elephants and the mahouts – the course involves training how to care for these lovable creatures including feeding and bathing. So far, we have learnt that elephants have quite a great deal of ability to learn new skills. Now you are thinking of challenging them, huh? Soccer? But that’s already been mastered. How about Elephant Polo? Does that sound sophisticated enough? Elephant Polo was first played by Mogul Indian Kings but was reinvented in 1982 by two passionate polo players, Jim Edwards (an Englishman) and James Mann-Clark (a Scotsman) in a bar in Switzerland when both wanted to try out a more interesting and adventurous Polo game. The first Elephant Polo Tournament was first held in
Thailand in 2001 at Hua Hin. The second event will be
once again hosted at Thailand at the same venue in this
coming September. A two-10-minute-chukker game will
consist of two teams of three elephants, each of which
carries a polo player and a mahout. This should be very impressive to see not only a great teamwork in man’s part, but also notable talents the elephants demonstrate in such dynamic game. During the days, there will also be the Elephant Orchestra and Elephant Painting. Part of the funds raised from the event will be donated to the Thai Elephant Conservation Center in Lampang, Northern Thailand. So instead of offering a few dollars to a mahout you see in the city, which ultimately does no good to the poor elephant itself, go witness the great events where elephants have their day for earning admiration and respect they truly deserve. Most importantly, your fee would mean sustainable support to their plight rather a mere superficial sympathy.
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Or imagine riding on the roof
of a huge bus with each of its tires takes turn to flop
down and inflate back, flop and inflate, back and forth
like that along a bumpy terrain. So the rider is sure to
enjoy the journey that is full of lefts, rights, ups and
downs!
The mahouts are to
direct elephants while the players play with a regular
polo ball and a specially made elongated stick, which is
something between 78 to 110 inches long, depending on
the height of the elephant.
