Are national parks for preserving the natural world and allowing space and freedom for the wild beings to roam? Or are they glorified amusement parks designed for human convenience?
In Thailand, particularly Khao Yai National Park, the humans win all too often. A seemingly endless stream of visitors are drawn there for its pristine sub-tropical forests and abundant wildlife, including wild elephants. But they also visit Khao Yai due to the excellent roads created for human convenience (and income generation!) and its proximity to both Bangkok and Southern Laos-China. Far too many tourists rent a car and hit the road, in the hopes of encountering a wild elephant. Far too often, they get their wish in not quite the way they planned.
Image credit: www.khaoyainews.com
Perhaps the smartest thing I've ever seen an animal do is to defend its territory against human invasion; to make it abundantly clear that the space belongs to them, and we humans are the visitors on their turf. It's a surprisingly regular event (at Khao Yai Nationanl Park, in particular) that the elephants make it clear we humans need to back off!
I want to simply stand and cheer this wonderful & magnificent creature for firmly setting boundaries, and making a statement. This is intelligence of the highest order, as the elephants know they need space, peace, wild jungle to explore and less contact with the pesky humans.
So should you boycott and avoid the Thai national parks to leave them more space? Some might choose that option. The "statements" repeatedly made by the elephants have led to much tighter control of driving speeds in national parks, and to the issuing of some very clear guidelines:
- Stay at least 30 meters away in your car and slowly back up to keep your distance if the elephant approaches.
- No flash photography.
- Do not honk the car’s horn or make other loud noises.
- Do not turn off the engine and be ready to drive away at any time.
- Do not get out of the vehicle to take photos.
- Turn off your headlights if encountering elephants at night. Do not flash headlights or other lights at them.
- If surrounded by elephants circling your car, move towards a spot in the circle with no elephants.
- If the car in front of you backs up, please back up as well, as it might be an emergency situation.
- Do not get out of the car and approach the elephant.
- An elephant’s best senses are hearing, smell, and vision. If you turn off your engine, the elephant will approach and use these senses to investigate, by looking at, smelling, and listening to your car.
The chances of encountering wild elephants ARE pretty good in certain parts of Thailand. Last week, driving in the dark through the foggy wilds of the Mae Moei National Park on Thailand's far western border with Burma at 4.30am, elephants were second on my "be super careful about" list, after running off the steep & very isolated mountain road. Certainly the amount of elephant poop on the road suggested I was quite right to be cautious.
I want to say that this problem is fixed by changed driving habits and awareness. But sadly it isn't. Just a few months ago, October 2019, 11 elephants perished, again in Khao Yai National Park, after trying to save a young calf in distress at a waterfall. You can read more about that tragic event Here and Here.
Forest conservationist and activist, Khun Kemthong Morat, had this very well reasoned explanation:
The conservationist, who once held annual elephant conservation awareness campaigns in Khao Yai National Park, challenged a theory held by park officials and Varawut Silpa-archa, minister of natural resources and the environment, that the fatal plunge was simply an accident. This explanation implies the deaths were something that "could not be prevented". Mr Kemthong disagrees. He argues instead that the loss of pachyderms was a matter of mismanagement and the park's poor decision to prioritise tourism over elephant conservation. Some tourist facilities, including accommodation, parking lots and souvenir shops, have been built on what was once the elephants' safe trail through the forest. Such misplacement forced them to switch direction to the more dangerous Haew Narok, and on Oct 5 they finally ran out of luck. The park management had set up barriers to prevent elephants taking the route, but the structures had become dilapidated and the pachyderms simply broke through. Source
The elephants just know.
They know they need space and freedom.
They know they need lots of natural jungle for food and breeding.
They know that we humans are their biggest threat.
The smartest thing I have ever seen an elephant do is express that rage and frustration, nicely in front of the camera for international viewing pleasure, but actually in a controlled way so that no one was injured.
Are we listening?
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nice! woah, that elephant video is crazy.. that driver clearly doesnt know how to reverse! shame.. i love how elephant is smiling as he does it!
good to see a list of things not to do!
and here is a nice thing you can do, if you happen to have your piano with you they seem to appreciate it!
xxx
100% upvote for sharing one of my FAV pieces of music. LOVE LOVE LOVE... xxx
I love the elephant smiling too, and one simply wants to cheer!
@tipu curate
A huge hug from @amico! 🤗
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Upvoted 👌 (Mana: 10/15 - need recharge?)
Hugs to you, my dear. :) x
I remember hearing a tragic story about a group of elephants that kept falling off of a cliff in a nature reserve north of Bangkok I think. That was so tragic.
The Thai elephants are cursed with being a bit too friendly I think and I have noticed in the one year that I have lived here that there seems to be a movement to step away from riding on them, which is wonderful.
Like most people, I had no idea about the brutal treatment these wonderful creatures faced when being "broken" in order to allow people to ride on their backs all day.
You have been here a long time so you probably know more about it than I do but it was just heartbreaking when it was pointed out to me. Hopefully the visitors to this country shun that sort of business as it is animal cruelty to the highest degree!
The tourism of riding and elephant shows IS brutal and unacceptable under any circumstances. The elephants you refer to who "kept falling off cliffs" are referred to in the 2nd half of my post - it is NOT an accident or unlucky coincidence. :( Thai elephants aren't born that friendly - they learn it in their "breaking" process as a coping strategy for being fed. It is all too tragic.
Thankfully the tide IS turning towards no-ride-no-feed-no-bathe-no-contact sanctuaries. But few selfies to be had and hard to make that pay - the elephants eat simply phenomenal amounts.
Appreciate your comments. :)
ah, i see it now in the 2nd part of the article. I didn't realize that was the reason they had fallen. So sad.
There is something wondrous about seeing a free animal in its own environment, up close. So I wonder if that's why people are attracted to the parks. Personally I wouldn't be blase about a creature so big.
I recently saw a David Attenborough programme on some African elephants. It was actually quite amusing to see how intelligent and almost human like they can be. What amazing creatures!
I can assure you that when I am personally facing the prospect of meeting these guys round a sharp bend on a remote mountain road, I am many things but blase isn't one of them!! Yes, perhaps we ARE fascinated by the wild things in their own habitat. Suddenly thinking of Max in his onesie and Where the Wild Things Are.
To this day I've still not read that book, yet I feel I should have, because it is so well known and often referenced.
It's a GLORIOUS wondrous children's story - no doubt easily available as a freebie online given its age and 50 years+ on copyright. I remember first reading it in Australia when I was about 8 and very new to English - and I'm 56 now. LOL.
Stunning illustrations. :)
Here you go: on youtube LOL.
Lol! Thank you. That actually wasn't what I expected it to be. Now I know, though.
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Elephants are amazing animals and you are so fortunate to have them in yur area!
Unfortunate though that tourism takes precedence over elephant conservation - when will we ever learn!
Thanks for sharing!