Tough going
Published: 14/10/2010 at 12:00 AM
Newspaper section: Horizons
Baby elephants Thong Thaeng and Thong Kham, being tended by a mahout while asleep, were destined for fame from the time of birth: they’re the first known case of male elephant twins. Because such occurrence is rare, their arrival was greeted with much fanfare. Today they are a major tourist draw in northeast Surin Province.
Elephants hold a special place in Thai society, for their presence is sought at religious ceremonies, festivals and even when it comes to entertaining foreign guests, and Thong Thaeng and Thong Kham have had graced many such occasions.
Beyond the pomp, the daily lives of mahouts and elephants are a tale of hardships, poverty, drought and lack of food. An elephant eats around 250 kilogrammes of feed a day, according to mahouts, hence feeding them (banana stalk and sugar cane are their favourites) in a domestic setting is a quite challenge in itself.
According to the latest census, less than 4,000 elephants exist in Thailand today, down from 100,000 a century ago, and a majority of them are domesticated. Of these, at least 200 are under the care of the Kui people of Surin, an ethnic minority with roots in Laos who brought with them their skills in training elephants for war, felling logs and transporting them.
They are among a few communities which attempt to sustain a way of life closely related to elephants. Unfortunately, many mahouts are mired in poverty, which puts immense pressure on elephant care.
Bron: Bangkok Post