Happy Elephant Home

During our visit in Chiang Mai, we spent a morning with the ellies at Happy Elephant Home in the Mai Taeng District about an hour outside of the city. Before this day, the closest I had come to an ellie was on a game drive many moons ago. I remember only two things:

1. the grace of these creatures,

2. the fear that we were going to get trampled by a rogue bull and end up in the Daily Dispatch the follwing day!

I love elephants. For years, I have felt a very deep connection and resonance with them.

The energy that they carry, the presence that they have - it touches something deep within me. I love how similar they are to humans; their innate nature to nurture, the irreplaceable role of the matriarch. Or how they can communcate through subtle vibrations carried through the ground and into their bones! How they remember - everything. Or how they have the strength to take over the world (ok not really), yet choose humility and kindness instead. Mostly, I love the way they love and care for one another - particualry their calves and the elderly. (As a teacher, I secrey like to imagine myself as the matriarch of a whole sweet herd of babas each year!)

Back to the day. To say I was excited, is an understatement. Yet similarly, I was also a little nervous. What if the encouter and connection weren't what I expected them to be? Or worse, that these mamals weren't as magnificent as I thought or heard them to be? Nonetheless, off we went. The trip into the country-side was nothing short of beautiful. Green everywhere! Lush, rich and inviting. The air filled with peace and satisfaction of the simple life.

We turned off the windy road and in to the little farm yard and were warmly greeted by the residence of the sanctuary. Yemmy was our guide for the day. She was full of laughs and knowledge. Having worked closely with elephants for the past 14 years, she has adopted the Karen language which the *mahouts use to communicate with their ellies. Yemmy has been born and raised in this village. Her family have a home in the valley and one on the mountain overlooking it. She says that she wakes up each day and still can’t believe that this is her life.

Casually, she guided us over to the two ellies, Molo and Tong Bai.

My heart beating a little faster as we approached, I reached out to stroke Molo. Tears welled in my eyes. She purred. It was more than I ever imagined it to be.

The elephants, having been rescued from the tourist trade, have been brougt here to enjoy the rest of their lives happy and free. Currently, there are only 2 ellies livining in this rescue home. Usually, the sanctuary ventures out to rescue elephants and they pay the elephant owners to allow them to bring them home. However, due to covid, this sancturary is financially unable to support the ellies and therefore had to return them to their original owners - to do work! Hopefully the tourism returns soon so that the majestic creatures may return to their safe haven.

Both ellies are in their 40s, one with a broken leg and the other with only one good eye. They were gentle, playful and always hungry! Despite Tong Bai being the younger of the two, she was slower, more reserved and less excited about swimming in the river. There was something special about Molo. She had me wrapped around her finger, or trunk, should I say.

First we changed into matching farm clothes (which I kind of hoped I could keep), then we took a rather overgrown road down to the sugarcane fields where we chopped down the largest stalks, loading them onto the rickety bakkie and proceeded to meet up with our new friends for a morning snack. Might I add, mom was swinging that panga like a Swahili chief!

Fascinating. The ability of their trunks! Transfixed as they ate away, we looked on in interest. Indian ellies have what is referred to as a finger on the tip of their trunks (as opposed to the two fingers that African ellies have). This is what gives them such precison with their trunks - to the degree that they can pick up something as small as a peanut! They often swished the leaves to and fro along the sides of their bodies to cool themselves down and shoo the flies away. Well, I assume.

We took a stroll down to the nearest river for a little dip! Not quite the Plascon splashing scene I expected it to be, though filled with diving and summersalts! Tong Bai was not all that interested (she wanted more food!), but Molo was in! Frolicking and rolling around like the mermaid she may have wished she was. And, we were lucky enough to be in the water with them! Goodness it was surreal. We giggled and waded in delight and wonder.

Dreams really do come true. Not sure why I am surprised by this. Whether I have dreamed them consciously or not, mine always do.

Molo having a whale of a time! Tong Bai looking on with little enthusiasm.

*mahout - keeper of elephants