Sunday, August 5, 2012
Wednesday, July 25, 2012
Chang Thai National Thai Elephant Day, March 13 2002
Chang Thai National Thai Elephant Day, March 13 2002
It is not unexpected that most Thai people hold the Elephant in such high esteem and reverence. When one takes a map and looks
at the geographic boundaries of present day Thailand, it takes
little imagination to realize that the country is shaped like an
elephant's head and trunk. The head rests here in the North, the
ears flare back to Esarn in the East and the trunk drapes down to
Haad Yai in the deep South. Thailand is to the elephant as the
elephant is to Thailand connected to each other traditionally,
emotionally, symbolically, regally and Royally. To honor this
most gentle, yet powerful, of animals the National Thai Elephant
Day is being hosted at the Maesa Elephant Camp (10kms along the
Mae RimSamoeng Road) on 13th March. Admission to the Camp (from 12 noon
onwards) is FREE so this will be a day for Thais, and visitors to
meet and fall in love (again!) with that most noble of creatures
the Elephant.Traditionally and historically, the elephant has had a long association with Thailand. It's strength, power, ponderous dignity and majesty has ensured it a special place in the hearts of Thai Kings for many centuries. Even today, H.M. King Bhumibol has a stable of Royal Elephants. A white Elephant is especially sacred and auspicious. When one is found, it immediately becomes the property of the reigning Monarch. Long ago, when Thai Kings waged war against invading enemies, it was the elephant which provided the "heavy" war equipment. Elephants were the battlewagons and tanks of the day from which, aloft the elephants neck, the King (or Noble) could see and engage the enemy.
In
more recent times during the last century, elephants were
engaged in the extraction of heavy teaklogs from the forests.
These were working elephants and they were sent into forest areas
where machines would cause too much devastation.For all of its ponderous size, and elephant is very surefooted and surprisingly dainty and swift of step. A mature, working elephant can readily lift 700kgs weight or haul a towton log for one kilometer without a break. To have an elephant work in a disciplined fashion requires years of training. This begins when a baby elephant is 3 years old and sent to school (a visit to the Young Elephant Training Centre at Haang Chatt District, experience). The young elephant is introduced to his, or her, "bosses" an experienced mahout and his apprentice. Both will be bonded with the elephant for as long as life permits and will be totally responsible for the elephant's training, future work schedule and career. Not only will they train and work with their charge, they will also play with their elephant because elephants love a bit of fun and can be quite mischievous.
Nowadays, with the Thai timber industry in decline, the friendly elephant is seeing more and more of the millions of visitors who visit Thailand each year. They have adjusted well to being the centre of tourist admiration they are happy to take the visitor for a ride a top that massive back or further afield on a trekking expedition. The elephant is happy to entertain by demonstrating how it used to work by hauling and stacking logs Elephants are "team" player in such operation. It is also a team player when a friendly game of soccer is arranged just see how nimble footed they can be! And, just to show how unabashed they are in public, the elephant is happy to entertain by taking a bath in the nude! Like any creature which gives its loyalty and devotion to humankind, the elephant loves affection and attention and gives the same in return to those who care for it.
On the downside, sometimes visitors will see unscrupulous humans exploiting elephants by making them beg for money in the streets of Chiangmai. Please do not innocently support such exploitation. It is not only against the laws of nature, it is against the laws of Thailand! Anyone seeing this exploitation should protest, in writing, to the Press, the Provincial Governor, the City Lord Mayor and, indeed, Thailand's Prime Minister Khun Taksin. These gentlemen have no wish to see elephants exploited by being forced to beg for money but catching the human culprits is not always easy.
Chaang Thai the National Elephant Day on 13th March at Maesa Elephant Camp is to honor, support and pay respect to this wonderful animal which is so much a part of Thailand's heritage and culture. At the Maesa Camp, there will be a kantoke feast for the elephants, traditional blessing ceremonies and Chiangmai University's Faculty of Veterinary Medicine will be presenting an exhibition on elephants and a display of those endearing baby elephants.
The Thai Elephant Warrior, Royal Pet. Workmate, Transporter and Entertainer a Friend worthy of the highest regard and respect. Do remember them on March 13 and try to get along to the Maesa Elephant Camp.
http://www.chiangmai-chiangrai.com/elephants_national_day.html
Fabrics a la Elephant
LATELY, in Chiang Mai elephants have been showing us humans how smart they are. They can play football. They can play musical instruments. They can massage. They can paint original canvases of flowers in Piccaso style of vibrant colors or simple meaningful lines in the Japanese style.
In 2003, paintings by Thai elephants were first exhibited at the Kawamura Memorial Museum of Arts in Japan. The exhibition gained overwhelming success and so creative arts by Thai elephants were successfully promoted at international levels.
In the same year, an exhibition entitled ‘First Elephant Arts Exhibition' was on display in Chiang Mai. In February 2005, a group of eight elephants obtained recognition from the Guinness Records for their creation of a painting entitled, ‘Cold Wind, Swirling Mist and Charming Lanna 1'. The elephant group's painting is documented in the Guinness Book of World Records 2006 and the record book is now available for purchase.
Thai elephant arts have branded positive recognition for Thailand thereby triggering an increase in the number of tourists visiting Chiang Mai elephant camps. Since then, elephant arts have expanded into wider ranges and developed into other artistic forms. Currently, the largest number of artistically skilled elephants reside in Thailand. The survey shows that the Elephant Conservation Center, Lampang province is home to 19 elephant artists while both Mae Saa and Mae Ta Maan Elephant Camps have 17 and 7 resident elephant artists, respectively. Chiang Dao and Mae Taeng Elephant Camp in Chiang Mai and other camps in Chiang Rai and Mae Hong Sorn are also homes to elephant artists. In total, Thailand probably has up to 100 elephant artists and the country can be recognized as home to the largest group of elephant artists.
And now in 2007??? What talent are the elephant artists showing the world? They are designing fabric by painting wonderful patterns on silk and cotton. A team elephant artists have exhibited exceptional patience and thoughtfulness creating the designs on the fabrics.
Seven elephant artists at the Maetaman Elephant Camp known as Haad, Hong, Libby, Somjai, Somboon, Bumbim and Jab and their arts trainer, Mr. Tossapol Petchrattanakool, in cooperation with Silah Lanna Club have created painting on textiles. The arts project was initiated in early 2007. Their creation has built a new recognition for elephant arts at an international level. Paintings, which engage innovative materials, equipment and techniques, have attracted The Asian Elephant Art and Conservation Project (AEACP), USA. AEACP introduced the paintings to the world's top designers to use in tailoring garments and present the creations in the New York Fashion Week 2008 - Spring Collection in February 2008 in New York, USA. Seven elephant artists have been practicing on textiles brought in from New York after which the finished painted fabrics will be sent back to New York.
After a short practice period, elephant arts were tailored into clothes and other fashionable items such as scarves, bags, and pillows. Later Thai designers assessed the quality of Thai elephant arts for a line of window curtains. Apart from being transformed into attractive products, the emerging elephant arts are highlighted in practical daily life-style usage.
One of the custom garment designers is Mr. Lawrence Goldberg, a UK citizen who makes Chiang Mai his summer home. Mr. G's aim is to bring the structure of the elephant into the form of the dress.
Elephant arts deserve appreciation, as the art reflects the effort of these gigantic mammals that, in addition to being a long symbolic animal of Thailand, are on the edge of extinction. Therefore, their work in arts contributes a new definition and a key to its existence.
The creative designed textiles was highlighted at the North Thailand Tourism Road Show in the Siam Paragon Bangkok Center in the first weekend of September 2007. For more information about all types of elephant arts, contact Ms Anchalee Kalmapijit, Special Consultant, Maetaman Elephant Camp. Tel. 053- 297060.
Do not let elephants just fade away and remain only in our memory.
What I Didn't Know About Elephants?
Before coming to Thailand all I knew of elephants were what I had seen of them in zoos, giant slow moving animals, magnificent to look at. They stood around majestically, mostly swaying from side to side, sometimes lifting their trunks, and, every now and then, if you were fortunate enough to be there at the right time, they might push a log they were given to play with, with their trunks. Only a few lucky people ever got to experience the excitement of being up close to an elephant and actually touching one. Until my visit to an elephant camp here in Thailand, I was one of those many Americans who had only seen an elephant from afar. After I had the privilege of visiting an elephant camp, and actually getting to ride, feed, and watch them play soccer, did I realize they have personality plus!!!! Ever since then, I have been accused of having Elephantitus. (Elephant on the brain)
Here in Chiangmai and neigboring provinces, we are so fortunate to have access to several elephant camps, among them being the National Elephant Institute.
The National Elephant Institute (NEI) for elephant training is an institute in an immense park in Haang Chaat district of Lampang province that has elephant shows, a restaurant, overnight cottages, special tours such as "Mahout Training course", making paper from elephant "leftovers," and a hospital for severely injured elephants. In 1991 over 2,500 to 4,500 elephants were reported in Thailand to be in the wild, and over 4,500 in captivity. The National Elephant Institute is just one of the elephant centers in Thailand that are working to preserve the number of these magnificent animals. Khun Plai, a test tube elephant, the first of her kind, will be celebrating her first birthday this year. Happy Birthday Khun Plai
This project is the first in the world to succeed in producing frozen semen using biological technology to freeze elephant semen for between 20 and 30 years for artificial insemination purposes. Currently, there is a frozen bank of "good-breed" semen, which can lose up to 30 percent of its strength if kept for too long.
The NEI cares for over 100 elephants, and feeding is an enormous task along with handling the daily cost. The Thai people are fantastic at taking things you and I would throw away (elephant dung) and making beautiful things from It. They make a great paper that can be used to wrap gifts, or used as decorative pages in scrapbooking. This paper looks a lot like mulberry paper and the sales help to run the institute.
African and Asian elephants are very intelligent animals. However, because the Asian elephant has two frontal lobes in their brains, the extra lobe gives them more intelligence than their African cousin, and the ability to be more easily trained. These adorable animals can learn as many as 60 commands. Therefore, Asian elephant projects an image of power, intelligence and gentleness. No wonder Siam chose the Asian elephant as their national symbol.
We often call the Elephant the gentle giant, but we should be ever mindful that Elephants are wild animals, and can exhibit behavior you should be aware of when around them, such as:
Elephants have small eyes and are near sighted, and are alert to sounds and smell, never use a flash camera around an elephant, the flash can startle them and they charge in that direction.
During the mating season be very careful around an elephant. The glands behind an elephant's ears secrete oil that has a pungent aroma which attracts mates. The oil flows down the cheeks and into their mouths. When the male elephant tastes this oil his animal instinct takes over, and has been known to rape an unwilling female elephant!
There is such a thing as a "Mad" elephant. They are born that way, and if you should ever encounter one, you can tell by his black toe nails and evil eyes! You will notice him staring at the earth without blinking, and moving his eyes from one side to the other. These "Mad" elephants will charge at anything within 20 meters, and ignore things farther away. If you find yourself too close, watch him silently, move backwards slowly, and look for a big tree for protection.
You should also watch out for wounded elephants and pregnant elephants ready to give birth. They will smash anything in their path. The pregnant elephants look for a "midwife" to protect them and their calf. Be mindful of the fact that both can be very dangerous as they protect the baby elephant.
I would be remiss in my duty as a writer writing about elephants if I did not mention the cherished "White Elephant." White elephants are always given to the King. The main qualifications for being the envied white elephant are: he must have seven colors on his body: white, yellow, green, red, black, purple ad steel grey; white eyes and white toe nails, (20 in all, two more than the regular elephant); have white or light grey skin, be fragrant-smelling, and not snore nosily.
The white elephants are part of many legends, one of the more famous surrounds Doi Suthep.
"A monk from Sri Langka named Sumanathera from Sukhothai dreamed god told him to go to Paang Ja, a ruined city, and look for a relic. Sumanathera went to Paang Ja and is said to have found a bone, which was claimed was Buddha's shoulder bone. This relic displayed magical powers; it glowed, it was able to vanish, it could move itself and replicate itself. Sumanathera took the relic to King Dharmmaraja who ruled the Sukhothai. The relic did not perform for King Dharmmaraja, and he turned the monk away.
However, King Gue Na of the Lanna Kingdom heard of the relic and offered the monk to bring it to him instead. In 1368 with Dharmmaraja's permission, Sumanathera took the relic to what is now Lamphun, in northern Thailand. The relic apparently split in two, one piece was the same size; the other was smaller than the original. The smaller piece of the relic was enshrined at a temple in Suandawg. The other piece was placed by the King on the back of a white elephant which was released in the jungle. The elephant is said to have climbed up Doi Suthep, at the time called Doi Aoy Chang (Sugar Elephant Mountain), trumpeted three times before dying at the site. It was interpreted as a sign and King Gue Na ordered the construction of a temple at the site."
I fell in love with elephants during my first trip to Thailand. Everywhere I look, Thai artisans portray elephants in their many forms of art here in Thailand, elephants playing, laughing, spraying water, loving as warriors, Thai religious symbols, and even Thai cartoons. Enjoy these beautiful animals at the Lampang's National Elephant Institute. Watch them perform with balls, harmonicas, and paint brushes. It is a sight that gives the elephants a human trait, and helps us bond to them.
As mentioned earlier the healthy elephants bring in about twenty million Baht per year through the Mahout Training School, homestay and souvenir sales. Hundreds of visitors sign up for the Mahout training 3-day training course. Hopeful mahouts of all nationalities and ages lean how to bathe the elephant, train in Karen language commands, and wander with the elephant in the forest while it feeds on about 250 kilograms of forage. On the third day of the training course, the mahout can appear in the live performance with the elephant.
Some visitors are a bit shaky about being too close to the elephants so they prefer to stay in the NEI homestay lodge at Baht 500 per night. They can hike in the national park or ride about on a bicycle.
Other ways the elephants earn money is by creating beautiful paintings that visitors eagerly buy for around Baht 2,000 each. The painting will have the name of the elephant, age of the elephant and the date of painting.
Please take note that March 13th is National Elephant Day (Wan Chaang Thai). Celebrate National Elephant Day by taking a trip to the National Elephant Institute in Lampang and bond with the elephants yourself. Take a few friends with you, and enjoy! To get there: Drive about 70 kilometers south of Chiangmai towards Lampang is the Thai Elephant Conservation Center located in Baan Tung Kwien (Thoong Gwian), Haang Chaat District. Here there are two daily morning shows start at 09.30, and 11.30 with an extra show on Saturday & Sunday 13.30. The famous elephant hospital is also located here.
THE NATIONAL ELEPHANT INSTITUTE (Head Office), 26 Tha Ma-O, T. Wiangnua, A. Muang, Lampang 52000. Tel : 054-228108, Fax : 054-321496; ELEPHANT TRAINING CENTER Haang Chaat, Lampang, Tel : 054-247871-6, Fax : 054-247872, 247876.
http://www.chiangmai-chiangrai.com
Young Elephant Training Center
Young Elephant Training Center
HOW MANY TIMES is the word "trunk" used in our English language -- main trunk line, baggage trunk, swimming trunks, telephone trunk call - are but some. There is even the song "Nellie the Elephant Packed her Trunk and said Good-bye to the Circus".
This article is not so much about Nellie the Elephant, or a
Circus, but about elephants in general and how they are trained
so that they are integrated into everyday part of Thai life.Elephants -- sometime are regarded purely as "beasts of burden" although this is neither strictly correct nor very kind. True, they can carry or haul heavy loads but they also can be warriors, royal pets, trekking transporter and entertainers. It all depends upon their training. So, if you love elephants (and doesn't just about everyone?) and would like to see something of their "school", then the Young Elephant Training Center, near Lampang, is a must visit.
At the Young Elephant Training Center, when an elephant is born, he (or she) remains with the mother for the first three years of life. By the way, the gestation period for an elephant is 21-23 months -- our lady readers will sympathize! Then, in July of the year of the youngster's third birthday, it's off to school. Just like us human folk, Mom Elephant may not want her baby to leave, and the little one may be reluctant to attend school. But, for everyone's benefit, it has to be done. Mom must return to her own work routine and "baby" must be educated for his future life career.
The elephant school semester runs from June until February, the following year, and the young pupil will attend five days per week. Each school day morning will see the trainees being rounded up from the forest where they have spent the night. Lead by their Trainer "Mahouts" they are brought to the river or pond and, upon the learned order "lie", will drop to a comfortable position for their grooming. The Mahout will energetically scrub his charge free of any dust and debris from the forest (the elephant will obligingly spray water from his trunk) until the "toilette" is complete and then, well refreshed and breakfasted, our pupil is ready for lessons.
Each elephant is trained in ten basic subjects for their future working career (which will last for about 40 years) and to respond to the commands from their mahout. Kneel, push, pull, move left, move right -and so it goes on. The mahout is an integral part of the elephant's training, and future career, because he will remain with his charge until the elephant reaches "pension" age and is retired back to the forest. Initially, there are two mahouts with each elephant; one will be an apprentice (also learning!) and the other will be a journeyman mahout who becomes a lifelong work-partner and friend to the elephant. As can be imagined, a special empathy develops between elephant and mahout but it is a slow, gentle and patient process. Many hours (sometimes days) of gentle persuasion can be spent before the elephant even permits its mahout to sit astride its neck.
School holidays, when the young elephants go back to the forest for relaxation, interspace the years of steady training. Until, after nine years, our pupil is no longer a "baby" and is ready for graduation as a fully trained, working elephant.
After leaving the Young Elephant Training Center, the elephants are sent to their employment in different parts of Thailand. Hauling and extracting logs, from areas where machines cannot access, is an important aspect of an elephant's working career, however, it is not the only one. You may see elephants at work pulling farm equipment or drawing a four-wheeled cart in a rural town. A mature, working elephant can comfortably lift 700 kilograms weight or haul two tons of timber for one kilometer without a break. Naturally all this energy output requires a lot of food input so our former-pupil will now be demolishing an average of 200 kilograms of food per day and sucking up 120 liters of water with which to wash it down. It's a lot to have on one's shopping list!
The Elephant -Noble Creature -- intelligent, strong, sure footed, dexterous, hardworking and patient -beloved by so many of us humans around the world. Even Canada's ex-Premier, Pierre Trade, authored a book, "There's an Elephant in My Bed" -'though I think he was referring to his gigantic, neighboring nation rather than anything else!
There are several Working Elephant Camps around Chiangmai but there is only one Young Elephant Training Center, in Haang Chaat district, close to Lampang city where you can see them as young pupils learning about life and their future career. Go visit them -- it's an endearing and rewarding experience which you're sure to enjoy.
To get there: Drive about 70 kilometers south of Chiang Mai towards Lampang is the Thai Elephant Conservation Center located in Baan Tung Kwien (Thoong Gwian), Hang Chat District. Here there are two daily morning shows start at 09.30, and 11.30 with an extra show on Saturday & Sunday 13.30. The famous elephant hospital is also located here. Tel. (054) 229042.
http://www.chiangmai-chiangrai.com/elephant_training.html
Even Elephants Fall in Love
Even Elephants Fall in Love
The birth of a baby elephant is quite a remarkable event at the best of times, but when the father is 89 years of age and the mother nothing more than a girlish 8 year old, the occasion becomes even more special. The elephant mirrors the life patterns of a human more closely than any other living thing. Its life span is approximately 80 years and its growth rate similar to that of humans. An eight year old elephant is naughty, mischievous and often uncontrollable but is certainly not promiscuous, not reaching puberty until approximately 12 years of age, while an 89 year old male has lost his teeth, is frail and weak and has lost his sexual ability although it seems, like humans, he still retains the desires. Plai Aek has indeed lost his teeth and can no longer chew his natural food of grass and shrubs nor even enjoy a nibble at his favorite tidbit of sugar cane, instead the zoo staff have to feed him milled, unpolished rice mixed with calcium, cod liver oil, coconut and banana, but regarding his sexual ability, READ ON.
The amazing love story of Plai Aek began way back in 1991. Plai Aek lived happily with his wife, Noy, in Chiangmai Zoo but unfortunately, despite a long relationship and happy marriage, they had remained childless. In the summer of 1991, a 5 month old orphan elephant was brought to the zoo and adopted by the loving couple. Sadly, in 1996, Noy passed away at the grand old age of 87, leaving Plai Aek deeply saddened. However, he still had Paang Mai, his adopted daughter to keep him company.
On November 19, 1998, Paang Mai gave birth to Chai Yo and as the gestation period for elephants is between 21 and 23 months it does not take a genius to work out that Paang Mai was just a 6 year old girl when she became pregnant. This truly remarkable event appears to have established a number of records. At 89, Plai Aek is thought to be the oldest elephant father in the world while Paang Mai is considered the youngest mother in the elephant kingdom. A third record is also claimed in that Chai Yo is the first baby elephant to be born in a Thai zoo.
If you would like to see this amazing old man, his lovely young wife and their remarkable baby, pay a visit to Chiangmai Zoo and enjoy a day out with nature in wonderful, natural surroundings. The location of the Chiangmai Zoo is on Huay Kaew Road as indicated on the maps within this issue.
http://www.chiangmai-chiangrai.com/elephants_in_love.html
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