Page 33 - BBC Wildlife Volume 36 #06

ASIAN ELEPHANTS

are used to from their captive lives,” says Jack. “If we were to
suddenly just leave them unchained they would panic.” Once
they have spent short periods without restraint at night there
will be a gradual lengthening of those chains during the day
– about a metre at a time, until they feel comfortable being
further apart from their companions. It will be a very gradual
re-education process. Baby steps for a huge beast.

CHANGING ATTITUDES
Eventually the plan is for the sanctuary to have three
locations; the current site is not big enough for the elephants
to live without some human interaction. So although it is
fine for the first stages of rehabilitation, another much larger
2
site will be needed for stage two. This will be a 1–1.5km
area with 2km between feeding locations. Tourism (without
the stress-inducing rides and washing sessions) helps fund
the majority of the sanctuary’s work, so in this case a jeep
safari will bring the important visitors to see the elephants
in this semi-wild location. Stage three will be to create as
close to a wild environment as possible. The land needed
2
for this would have to be around 16km so it would operate
on a similar basis to a national park, with minimal human CASE HISTORY KA MOON
contact. The whole process is expected to take 10 years and
will be funded by private investment. Age Approximately Suitable for release?
Attitudes to elephants in Thailand are gradually changing. 50–60 years Yes. She has very little learned
Farmers close to the boundaries of national parks (where Origin Mae Hong Song behaviour compared to the
most of Thailand’s truly wild elephants now live) are still province, Myanmar border others in the sanctuary,
experiencing crop raiding, but fewer animals are now being Job Trekking elephant and is showing signs of re-
killed as a result. Kui Buri National Park, for instance, has Distinctive features White learning natural behaviour
a healthy population of elephants – around 237 at the last scar on forehead, most likely quickly considering her poor
count. On the border with Myanmar, it is a place where the from the use of a bullhook condition on arrival.
elephants are free to roam. On the Thai side it is fringed by
farmland, where pineapple and rubber plantations exist.
To prevent elephants straying from the park, ditches have
been dug around the edge and grasses that the elephants
enjoy have been planted to try and dissuade them from
leaving to find food in the neighbouring farms.
This has only been partially successful. As one local
farmer, Tia explained, “The elephants just love pineapples

Clockwise from
above: Elephant
Valley tries to keep
human interaction
to a minimum but
some hand feeding
is allowed; Jack
Highwood with
Clare; vets check the
health of a resident.
They are the only
people allowed to sit
on the sanctuary’s
elephants.

BBC Wildlife 33