elephant lessons learned while volunteering at ENP

Our time at Elephant Nature Park (ENP) provided us quite the educational experience. We learned lots about the mannerisms of these gentle giants and the elephant industry in Asia (Thailand in particular) so now it’s time for us to educate you.  The following left the biggest impressions on us during our time here

elephants used for labor and tourism go through a torturous process known as “the crush”

This was one of the most shocking things we learned at the start of our Elephant Sanctuary time.  Most elephants domesticated by humans go through a process known as Phajaan, or ‘the crush.’  During Phajaan, baby elephants are taken from their mothers at just over a few months old and put in cages much too small for them to move.  Undergoing a breaking process for 3 days straight, sometimes longer, they are chained up, beaten, starved, and kept from their mothers.  This cruel and abusive torturing process is carried out by the mahouts (elephant handlers) in order to break the elephant’s spirits and essentially show them who’s boss so that they will fear humans and obey their commands.  Humans can then use them in industries such as logging, street begging, and elephant trekking/riding (yes, almost every elephant used in Asian tourism has undergone this violent process).

elephant baby during phajaan. photo by Lek Chailert.

Phajaan. Photo by Lek Chailert.

We watched some video footage of Phajaan our first day at ENP and it was hard to stomach.  Many of the elephants that Lek, the ENP founder, has rescued have undergone this torturous procedure as youngsters and it still affects them today.   Sadly, there was an elephant trekking camp across the river in which Phajaan was being performed on the newest baby at night (after the tourists go home) and his cries can be heard at ENP.

The good news is that the elephant babies born at ENP will never have to experience this.  And the more people that are educated about this process, hopefully more will pay attention to what activities they choose to participate and focus on the well-being of the animals.

who’d want to hurt this little guy?

choose wisely when considering elephant activities

Once elephants have gone through Phajaan, they are further abused by bull hooks or spiked finger rings so that mahouts can control the large animals.  Usually these weapons are used on an elephant’s sensitive ears, and some elephants have large holes and scars as evidence.  Although most tourists want exposure to elephants and mean to do them no harm, the elephant handlers often use these abusive tools in ways that are hidden from tourists, but just because the tools can’t be seen doesn’t mean it isn’t happening.

torture devices used on elephants

a flower decorates the bull hook hole of this lovely lady

Even elephant bathing, which seems an innocent activity, can be done in a way that’s harmful to the grey giants.  At the elephant trekking camp next door, we saw the elephants being poked with hand spikes and their ears being pulled downward to get them to roll over and “play” in the water with the tourists. It may not have been evident to the participants, but it was hard for us to watch what was really happening to the animals for the sake of entertainment.

Bath time at ENP is done much differently, supervised by mahouts that do not poke, prod, or pull at the elephants.   While the elephants are getting their afternoon snacks we were able to cool them off by throwing buckets of water on their hot bodies (but mind the ears!).

this is how to bathe an elephant

It is very important to ask questions when choosing which elephant activities to participate in.  If the tour company or guide won’t give you a straight answer or ignores your questions, then it might be a sign that you should choose a different outfit for your elephant experience.

reconsider before you ride

One of the biggest regrets we’ve had in our years of travel was the elephant ride we took in India. We were simply uneducated and didn’t realize the process that is involved to tame an elephant in order to allow humans to ride them, as well as the abuses they continue to suffer.  We fell into that tourist trap of “the elephant looks good and happy, and his mahout looks like he’s a nice guy” but knowing what we do now, we will never do this again.

Large wooden platforms are used as seats across the elephant’s back, which can cause pain and long-term injury.  Also, Asia is not known for cold temperatures, so the heat can cause added health issues.  Just as humans can get heat stroke, so can these guys.  And as previously mentioned, bull hooks or other sharp, hidden objects are used to force the elephants to keep working through the heat of the day.  These creatures weren’t meant to be hauling our lazy selves up a hill, but rather to roam free and eat their fruits and veggies.  And after learning what they had to go through to have their spirits broken and be submissive in this manner, we discourage anyone considering a ride from these giants.

waiting for riders in India

Instead of elephant riding or trekking, we highly recommend opting to spend time at ENP, or similar elephant sanctuaries that put the care and well-being of elephants above all else.  At ENP, there are options for day tours, an overnight tour which gives you more exposure to the facilities, or volunteering for a week or more.  We highly recommend the week-long experience and wish we’d stayed longer.

elephants love baths – be it water, mud or good old dirt

Since these creatures live in hot climates, they need ways to cool off.  They use their trunks to throw dirt and mud all over their bodies, as a natural sunscreen in the scorching sun.  They also love water and mud baths which help cool their thick layers of epidermis, and the mud suffocates ticks if there happen to be any on their skin.

cooling off on a hot day

dirt bath time for pumbaa

There is a giant mud pit at ENP for these guys, and the mahouts take turns allowing their elephants to play in the muck.  It was fun to watch them act like little puppies, laying down and rolling around in the mud like it was the best thing in the world.

navaan family during mud bath time

rollin in the mud

elephants can sneak up on you

It sounds ridiculous, that something weighing over a ton can come up from behind without making any noise, but we are here to tell you it’s true.  We saw this a couple times (or rather didn’t hear it) when we were out on elephant walks with guides, focusing on the elephants in front of us when our guides, who are trained to keep their eyes on everything, would tell us to move as an elephant was coming our way.  And turning around, one would be maybe 10 or so feet away, out of nowhere.  And yet, somehow we as humans can’t make a trip to the bathroom at night without waking up the significant other with the pattering of our feet.  One of evolution’s great mysteries.

mai do

elephants have very big poos

This kind of goes without saying.  Although elephants eat only fruits and veggies, they can eat over 300 pounds of it a day, which results in very large excrement.  Having to pick up this excrement on several occasions during our volunteer week, it made for MUCH larger muscles at the end of our time at ENP.  We think we’ll hit up a body builder competition.  It also makes scooping up dog poo seem like a drop in the bucket so to speak.

elephants mourn death

Unexpectedly, the first elephant that Lek (the founder of ENP) rescued, Mae Perm, passed away during our time here.  She was best friends for nearly 20 years with her elephant pal Jokia, an elephant who was blind in both eyes and relied heavily on Mae Perm to be her sight.  Jokia’s loss of her close friend was felt by everyone at ENP – humans and other elephants alike.

Mae Perm – the sanctuary’s first resident on one of her last days

In the wild, elephants are known to mourn for a few days by standing around the deceased when one of the herd has passed.  It was eye-opening to see how the rest of the elephants, although they weren’t close with Jokia, seemed to share her pain.  Trumpeting groans could be heard throughout the park, not just from Jokia, in the days after Mae Perm’s death.  It was as though the other elephants were mourning Jokia’s loss as well.

Jokia and Lek

Jokia takes her first walk after losing her best friend, Mae Perm

elephants don’t raise their kiddos alone

When an elephant mom gives birth, she fortunately doesn’t have to raise the little one alone.  The dad is pretty much out of the picture, but instead elephant “nannies” are designated by mom.  They range in age, but usually not over 65.  If anything happens to mom, she has several backups to care for and raise her kiddo.  These nannies are highly protective of the little one they are in charge of, and if they sense any danger they will form a circle around the baby to shelter the little bugger.  If you come between a baby and its mom or nanny, watch out or you might become a squashed banana.

baby navann and his nannies

dok mai and his nannies

While we were at ENP there were 3 babies under the age of 4, and each had a group of at least 3 nannies in addition to mom.  It was fun to watch the groups move around together, always keeping an eye on the little one.

So while there are many ways to engage in elephant activities, one should do some research to make sure that the elephant’s well-being is put first before participating.  And ask questions!  We can’t say it enough {insert shameless plug here}, but if you are looking for a very enriching elephant experience try out Elephant Nature Park.

Here’s some more pics to entice you to go!