A NEW CHAPTER FOR THE THAI ELEPHANT AND ITS MAHOUT:
THE SEARCH FOR SOLUTIONS
THE MAHOUT AND HIS ELEPHANT
| The life cycle of the elephant begins with a 22-month gestation period. From the time of its birth up until the age of 4-5 years, the elephant is categorised as "an infant or child". As is the case with human beings, the initial 3-4 years in the life of a baby elephant are its critical years. A baby elephant is totally dependent on its mother's milk for nourishment and survival. Important nutrients in the mother's milk, particularly calcium and phosphorus ensure that the growing elephant develops strong bones. Vital antibodies needed to build up the calf's immunity and resistance to fight off diseases are also transferred from the mother to the baby elephant through the milk. Calves that are weaned too early and separated from the mother earlier than 3 years of age often manifest symptoms of bone disease, and seldom survive.
From between 14 to 60 years, the elephant becomes a "working adult" and at approximately the age of 60, the elephant is "retired" from work. The average life expectancy of an elephant is 55 years.
An adult elephant needs a lot of food - equivalent to about 6 to 8% of its body weight each day. A full-grown 40-year old male weighs approximately 4,000 kg (8,800 pounds) and thus needs 250-300 kg of food every day. A baby elephant which weighs 80 to 100 kg (176-220 pounds) at birth, needs to eat the equivalent of 8 to 10% of its steadily increasing body weight.
Elephants sleep only about 4-5 hours per night, mostly standing (like horses), with only an hour or two lying on its side. If an elephant sleeps on its side for much longer, it is a good indication that the animal is sick. |
|
|
As soon as the young elephant is weaned at the about three years, it begins life as a domesticated elephant under the care of its keeper - the mahout. Hence other than its mother, the mahout is the next most important influence in an elephant's life.
In times past, being a mahout was deemed to be a noble profession. According to the dictionary published by Thai Royal Institute, the mahout is defined as being a person who drives, takes care of and controls elephants. Traditionally, life-time or career mahouts were knowledgeable, highly experienced individuals well-versed in elephant-rearing skills. These were true masters with an intimate understanding of their 'wards'. Men who possessed an exceptional ability to communicate and control their elephants with simple verbal commands and touch.
The relationship between the career mahout and his elephant often goes back a long way to their respective childhood days. In rural communities, where elephants have been kept by a family for generations, age-old knowledge and skills in the care and control of elephants are passed down from father to son. At the same time, generations of elephants are born into the family unit. As man and elephant depend on each other, the elephant is treated as a member of the 'family'. Young boys and baby elephants grow up together with the young boys given an opportunity to work with the family elephants, preparing them for what becomes a lifetime with one particular animal. A life-long bond is forged. The relationship is based on affection and complete trust in one individual. The elephant is very loyal to its mahout.
A mahout and his elephant ideally maintain a life-long relationship that ends only with the mahout's death or when the elephant is sold.
There is a saying among career mahouts that being a mahout is like being married to an elephant for life. Mahouts rise early at dawn to escort the elephant into forested areas in search of food. At the end of the day, as the sun sets, the elephant is escorted back to forested areas for the night. For some mahouts who travel around in search of work and food for man and elephant, out of a month, the mahout spends 26 days with his elephant, and four with the family.
Conversely, there is also another saying which cautions that "An elephant that has passed through the hands of many mahouts cannot be trusted." This underscores the fact that elephants are intensely loyal. Given the elephant's acute sense of hearing and scent, they are quick to sense danger and are easily frightened. It takes a competent, experienced and trusted mahout to reassure and calm an elephant that is under stress.
With changing times, the scarcity of work and a severe shortage of food found naturally in the wild, many tribal keepers have left the profession and their sons have opted for other employment. The rapid decline in the quality of mahouts is cause for grave concern. Sadly, there are an ever-increasing number of young and inexperienced elephant handlers. Not having earned the trust of the animals, they are unable to exert control over elephants in a state of trauma or stress without the use of force resulting in injuries and fatal incidents for both elephant and handler.
To reverse this trend, state and private sector organisations alike, particularly local and international NGOs, have stepped up efforts to offer professional training for mahouts and elephant handlers.
THE TURNING POINT:
ELEPHANT AND MAHOUT JOIN THE RANKS OF THE "UNEMPLOYED"
On January 17, 1989, the Royal Thai Government issued a decree cancelling all logging concessions nationwide by order of the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives. This was a measure introduced by the Thai government in an effort to halt the mass deforestation Thailand was experiencing at that time and protect the country's forests.
The combined effect of deforestation coupled with the logging ban in 1989 dealt a devastating blow to the country's domestic elephant population, and their keepers. With the sources of valuable timber irreversibly depleted, the result has been habitat loss and decreasing natural food sources for all elephants and a momentous decline in work for elephants and professional mahouts alike.
This development significantly altered elephant-keeping habits. With a full-grown elephant needing between 250-300kg of food and 200 litres of water per day, a mahout's ability to keep an elephant is a daunting task and with work being scarce, traditional owners were reluctant to continue to keep elephants unless they are able to make a living from them.
The logging ban forced many respectable traditional owners to sell-out to unscrupulous middlemen and contractors. In spite of the ban on logging in Thailand, illegal operations do exist and many of the domesticated elephants are engaged in illegal logging work, moving illegally cut logs through inaccessible terrain. Elephants used in illegal logging are often fed amphetamines to make them work harder and for longer hours, although this is much less a problem than it was ten years ago.
They are also often neglected and not cared for properly. Many were left to forage for their own food and ended up starving.
The logging ban has left few options for the domesticated elephants and their mahouts (or elephant keepers). To earn a living, many elephants can be seen wandering the streets of Bangkok and other key resort destinations around the country, begging for a living. This is an unhealthy situation for both elephant and mahout. Employment in tourism is seen as a possible solution.
Mr Richard Lair, a leading authority on the Asian elephant who has devoted over twenty years working with the animals and studying conservation problems across Asia, and currently advisor to the National Elephant Institute (NEI) in Lampang, Thailand reiterates, "Like it or not, the only viable long-term future for elephants in Thailand is in humanely, intelligently run tourist camps, of which there are many."
SPECIAL ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
We take this opportunity to sincerely thank Ms Bilaibhan Sampatisiri, President of Treasure Our Elephants Fund - Foundation for the Conservation of Northern Elephants, Mr Chanatt Lauhawatana, Managing Director of the Forest Industry Organization, the parent organization of the National Elephant Institute of Thailand, and Mr Richard Lair, a leading authority on the Asian elephant who has devoted over twenty years working with the animals and studying conservation problems across Asia, author of "Gone Astray: The Care and Management of the Asian Elephant in Domesticity" and currently advisor to the National Elephant Institute (NEI) in Lampang, Thailand, for the kind advice and guidance, tremendous insight and enthusiastic support extended to News Room on this special feature. All images © National Elephant Institute.
Sources of Reference
- The National Elephant Institute
Forest Industry Organization
A New Hope for Elephant Conservation
www.thaielephant.net
- Treasure Our Elephants-
Foundation for the Conservation of Northern Elephants
- The Elephant in Thai Life and Legend
Published by Monsoon Editions Ltd. Partnership
ISBN 974-86302-9-3
- "Important Elephants of the Nation"
from the chapter on elephants by Saimai Jobkolsuk
in "Suriyothai" produced by Khunying Busaya Snidvongs na Ayudhya
ISBN 974-272-379-6
- "Running out of elephants" and "Concern for national animal"
by Supradit Kanwanich, Bangkok Post/Perspective - Sunday, January 12, 2003
- Elephant Help Project
http://www.elephanthelp.org/
- http://www.welcome-to.chiangmai-chiangrai.com/elep-nationalday.htm
|
