mammoth task

helping elephants and mahouts

WITH 31 ELEPHANTS NOW LIVING IN HIS Chiang Rai camp, John Roberts’ approach to elephant rescue is a holistic one: he believes an elephant comes as part of a unit, including its mahout, or elephant trainer, and the mahout’s family. More than that, he believes the elephant unit deserves to make a respectable living. Sadly, many mahouts initially take their elephants into the concrete jungles of Bangkok, hawking photographs to tourists – reducing the animals’ lives to a future of begging. There’s little quality of life for the mahout and it’s distressing for the animals; they aren’t used to the urban environment and, in such a cramped city, can rarely be provided with the lodgings they require.

Rather than offer cash for the elephants, as per a recent government proposal, Roberts encourages mahouts in the city to relocate to his camp, which is supported by a Four Seasons Tented Camp initiative and the Anantara Golden Triangle.

“Because life on the streets can be very lucrative, with potential earnings of up to 7,000 baht a night, we have to constantly work to ensure that our ‘quality of life’ argument stands with the mahouts,” Roberts says.

“We started buying elephants from the mahouts, but found that a mahout with money in his pocket just went out and bought another elephant. Instead, we now ‘rent’ the elephants, providing a new life for the mahout’s family. We also provide for all the elephants’ needs.”

Finding alternative employment for street elephants is another challenge and one Roberts addressed during the 2009 King’s Cup Elephant Polo Tournament, held in March. During this annual two-week event, elephants are brought up from Bangkok to play in polo matches during which they are offered competitive pay, minimal work, excellent veterinary care and nutritious food.

Funds raised at the King’s Cup facilitated the rescue of a further five elephants, to be part of the Thai Elephant-Assisted Therapy Program (www.tetp.org). This groundbreaking study has found autistic children respond well to elephants and has seen the enormous mammals engaged as therapists of a sort, to help build the children’s communication and social skills.

Anyone inspired to help can donate to the Golden Triangle Asian Elephant Foundation through their website, or purchase bronze elephant statues from British artisans Escar (www.ukbronze.com). – Julie Miller

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