After
our five days exploring Chiang Mai, it was time to get out into the
countryside and go to camp; elephant camp, that is. We spent two days at Baan Chang Elephant
Park, learning (or attempting to learn) how to be mahouts, or elephant caretakers. 
We had seen plenty of elephants from a distance in Africa, but definitely had not come anywhere near close enough to feed, bathe, or ride them like we did at Baan Chang. Asian elephants are actually a different species than the African elephants we had previously viewed from afar. There are a variety of differences between the two species, but the most obvious is that Asian elephants are much smaller and only the males have tusks.
We started our time at
elephant camp by changing into what would be our uniform for the next two days:
incredibly trendy blue polyester mahout
outfits. Thus fashionably attired, we
were ready for the first activity: feeding the elephants! Elephants actually spend about 18 hours each
day eating, so we were just there to provide them with their daily dose of
treats in the form of bananas and sugarcane. 
Highly intelligent, as well as creatures
of habit, all of the elephants knew that the arrival of minivans full of
strangers meant it was time for their favorite foods. They waited eagerly for the visitors carrying
bunches of bananas and sticks of sugarcane, inquisitively reaching out their enormous trunks as we passed. Some
elephants were pickier than others, preferring sugarcane over bananas or
refusing to eat green bananas entirely. It took some time to get used to the elephants snatching the food from our hands with their trunks. Not only does the proboscis contain up to 150,000 muscle fascicles, it handles food and objects in an amazingly adept manner!
Once we were more
familiar and comfortable with these majestic creatures, it was time for our
training to begin. Our small group clustered
around our guide to learn a series of commands, starting with non long, or “lie down.” Having learned this basic command, we were
ready to get up on the elephants and back off again. Despite their smaller size and our vast
experience riding horses, elephants are much larger. Getting on even the smallest elephant was
somewhat of a vertigo-inducing experience.
Having mastered mounting
and dismounting, we quickly added a few other commands to our repertoire. We now know the elephant commands for go,
turn, and stop (bai, quay, and how) – we are practically fluent! However, we are pretty confident that the
elephants simply follow their trainers and completely disregard any orders
from foreigners mispronouncing their instructions.
Regardless, we set off on
an elephant ride around the camp’s perimeter.
We were each entrusted with our own elephant for the afternoon. Several couples in the group had opted to
share just one elephant, but Giorgio had insisted that we each get our own –
how else could we have elephant races? We
clambered up onto their backs after instructing each of our elephants to non long and headed down the path. Giorgio’s more experienced and larger elephant
lead the way for Stephanie’s younger (and smaller) pachyderm.
Not long after the
elephants had commenced plodding through the jungle and searching for tasty,
leafy treats alongside the trail, a firecracker popped in the distance. Although the older elephants in the group generally
remained complacent, Stephanie’s elephant and a few others were not so calm,
spooking and breaking into a run. Staying
in place while bareback on a spooked elephant is not quite the same as riding a
galloping horse, but Stephanie held on until a mahout urgently instructed her to dismount. Eventually, the entire group dismounted and gave
the elephants a much-needed break. 
It turned out that there was a Buddhist funeral on one of the neighboring farms, accompanied by traditional fireworks. Once our guide had confirmed that there would be no more fireworks that afternoon, we were back in the saddle (or back bareback on the elephants). This time, Stephanie got to ride the biggest elephant in the group, who not only sported immense tusks, but would also be less prone to spooking in the event of further firecrackers.
In case any riders out
there are wondering how elephant riding compares to horseback riding, we
suggest you stick to horses. Elephant
necks and backs are not the most comfortable places to perch and they are also
quite hairy! And their hairs are quite
bristly, constantly scratching through your clothes. Who knew?
After their exertions, the
elephants were more than ready for their daily bath. We had seen plenty
of elephant pool parties in Etosha, but this time we got to join in! We both narrowly avoided having a foot
accidentally crushed by one of the giant beasts in the water while vigorously
scrubbing them down. For the mahouts, being in the water with their elephants was second nature and they simply laughed at our concerns. (Afterwards, we had
our own bath time; elephants don’t have the same rules as humans about not
pooping in the shower.)
After the day-trippers had
left, we settled into full camp mode. We
shared stories over the campfire, roasted sticky rice in bamboo in lieu of
marshmallows, and lit a few
more wishing lanterns. The whole
time, we could hear the elephants rustling in the background amidst their
massive piles of leaves and fruit – it was like we were back in Africa!
Armed with yet more
sugarcane and bananas, we re-introduced ourselves to the elephant team the
following morning. Plus we got to meet
the resident baby elephants, who looked just like Dumbo (although they were
happily ensconced alongside their mothers). We spent our final day with the elephants in the jungle. Apparently, the elephants are not really supposed to be trekking through the jungle, which is owned by the government.
We trekked through mango fields, over a river, and up and down a few
steep hills before arriving at a small clearing where the mahouts prepared a luxurious picnic of freshly grilled chicken and
fried rice. Meanwhile, our elephant
friends were meant to be exploring the jungle on their own, where they would
presumably find tons of tasty snacks.
Stephanie’s elephant was quite disgruntled by this plan, preferring to
remain within sight of the group rather than exploring on her own. The other elephants, except for one older
male, eventually got tired of browsing independently and slowly made their way back
to the campfire, sneaking up on us as stealthily as an animal weighing several
tons can do.
Back in camp, it was already
time for another bath. Stephanie headed into the pond with
her new friend, who turned out to be quite mischievous, spouting feces-water
all over her multiple times. Giorgio and the other members of our group decided one time was enough and refused to get into the dirty water again.
Baan chang
means “elephant home” in Thai. They
provide a home for 40+ rescued elephants that had previous careers as logging or show
elephants. They no longer put on shows
for hordes of tourists or pull massive logs through Burmese forests. However, we had some concerns about taking
part in the Thai elephant tourism industry, which is known for its mistreatment
of these majestic creatures. Overall, we
are happy with our decision to visit Baan Chang and learn more up close and
personal with such amazing animals.
Living at Baan Chang seems to be a happier alternative to the elephants’
prior lives and we’ve determined that the ideal of roaming free through the
jungle does not seem attainable in modern-day Southeast Asia. Regardless, the welfare of the elephants here
in Thailand is certainly something that we have seriously considered, both
before and after our visit.
Following our two days of
elephant camp, we embarked on a new adventure – a week of road tripping around
northern Thailand!
#stephandgio
No comments:
Post a Comment