Idea # 127 – Standing on an elephant in Thailand
One century ago, the population of elephants was estimated to 100000 individuals in Thailand, what can explain the important role of these animals in the Thai culture. The wild and captive elephants of Asia are native of the same species as the elephant of the forests of Thailand. The elephants are herbivores exclusively, and have to ingest of very big quantity of food every day, what represents one a large part of their daily activity. Indian elephants live in clans, according to a matriarchal, very structured social order of type. The male adults tend to be rather solitary.
The wild elephants of the Thailand, whose population is estimated to only 2000 individuals, live in meadows with pasture and the dense rain forests everywhere in the country. These housing environments are in very net regression because of the human activity. The captive elephants were historically used for the deforestation ; since this activity became forbidden, a part of these elephants is used today to serve the tourist industry. Once perched on the back of an elephant, you cannot refrain from caressing(cherishing) the head and from discovering that we feel directly the skull, through a very thick leather, strewed with rather thick hairs. A flash of love for these extremely intelligent and peaceful animals…
Where is it?
Khao Pra Taew, Thailand
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