White elephant in the room

Before I moved to Asia, I had a love of Dragons that began with R2. He explained that in Asia, the mythical creature is the most revered of all the zodiacs and now that 2012 is Year of the Dragon, everyone wants a "Dragon Baby". The beast is a mix of all the animals and only comes around once every 12 years. We enjoyed dragons so much that in every country we visit, we purchase one, so now I have an extensive collection. While most of them were broken in two or three pieces on the boat ride from Canada, I still have them on display - everywhere from Mexico, to Austria, to Spain to Hong Kong to Vietnam. Thank god for Crazy Glue.

YaYa was not shy

I have never been a dog lover, although I have tried.  I enjoy the look of dogs, but in Singapore, often the poor guys are relegated to a small flat and bark like mad out of sheer boredom. Too much yapping and crapping for me. I love cats and grew up with them, but the felines in Asia are bizarre. The eyes are too close together and only a stump of a tail; it's just creepy. They mostly roam wild and keep the mouse population to a minimum but I don't want to touch them. There are many kind souls  seen in the parks and void decks feeding the strays and if they are generous, pay to have the cat sterilized to keep the population down. A clipped ear signifies a neutered cat, a missing tail, well, we haven't figured that one out yet. 

What I truly love in Asia, since I visited on a holiday three years ago is the gentle giants; the elephants. I ask you, is there anything more beautiful than the wrinkly face, the soft, trusting eyes and the inquisitive trunk of a pachyderm? These regal beasts understand about 40 commands and become attached to humans for 80 years, so why isn't there a Year of the Elephant?

Dozens of elephants walk for hours carrying tourists

I was like most tourists and didn't think much about the elephants. All I wanted to do was claim I rode one while in Malaysia. The first elephant I rode was apparently in the movie, The King and I with Jodi Foster but for all I know, it could have been in Dumb and Dumber. I only felt sadness after I handed over my Ringgits and rode that poor creature. I didn't tell R2 my feelings because while in Langkawi, I dragged him, all over God's green earth to ride that exhausted fellow. He proceeded to book me another trip in Jaipur, India, not knowing I was sickened by the abuse of the elephant and that we were contributing to it.

What we experienced in Jaipur made Malaysia seem like a picnic for the elephant.  In Jaipur, there were about 50 elephants all painted and decorated with Mahouts riding them on the neck, up and down Amber Fort. An elephant has a weak back so it is only advisable to ride on the neck. This was not the case here; there were baskets and often you would see three or four people loaded on the backs while the elephants climbed a steep 1 km trail to the top of the fort. I thought I would die when I saw a man beating the elephant on the head with a bull hook. Again, I didn't tell R2 about how upset I was, but in retrospect, I know he was as saddened and sickened as I was about the treatment. As sure as the sun rises, I know that R2 puts me first in everything he does. While riding an elephant up a huge hill is not his cup of tequila, he did it for me. I didn't want to hurt his feelings by telling him I was distraught over this madness.

I have seen the tourism elephants in Thailand and I have seen the posters advertising the shows where they dance, bow and perform for the tourists. I have seen people parading the elephants up and down the congested streets in costumes and paint while the travellers pay for a photo with them. Now that I have worked with and researched elephants, I refuse to help the people that benefit from the abuse of the beasts.

Hello YaYa...I am Layna

What I did find in Phuket, Thailand warmed my heart to a select group that make money with performing elephants. We met a man on Mai Khao beach that had a two-year-old baby named YaYa. We were lounging by the pool, when R2 shot up and yelled, "Follow me." I don't ordinarily see R2 move that fast unless there is a buffet line involved so I didn't question him, as his long legs raced down the path to the beach. What we found there was the most beautiful sight.

The man had his wrinkly, grey baby and to make money he asked for 100 Baht ($3 CA) to feed her a huge bunch of bananas. We had left so quickly we didn't have time for money, so I asked him if he could return the following day. A male elephants eat about 250 kg of food per day so I had no problem paying to feed this gorgeous girl.

Too many kisses

Sure enough, the following day the man and YaYa came back. I hugged and played with her as much as I could, while she covered me with elephant slobber from her trunk. She had bristly hair sticking out all over her head and she was a flirtatious delight.  She lapped up the bananas and grabbed them out of my hand if I was too slow to feed her. I gave her 100 Baht and she put it in the man's pocket.

YaYa stuck around the beach for a long time that day; maybe business was slow or the man was enjoying the cooler weather.  R2 ventured into the ocean and was surprised to come out of the water, right beside YaYa. She had wandered into the Andaman to refresh herself.  All R2 saw was a grey periscope above the surf. He had never been so close to an elephant before and was charmed by her.

The baby was getting sleepy

We sat near the ocean, waiting for the famous sunset of  the JW Marriott and YaYa stayed right there with us. I watched as the man tried to hose her off after she rolled in the sand, like a dog.  She is still a baby so she refused to get clean, like many babies do.  He had to scold her until she slowly came forward for a bath.  Typical kid, doesn't want to take a shower.  She played with the man by licking his face with her gigantic tongue. He blew into her trunk and she squealed in delight. At one point, he sat on the grass and YaYa stood overtop of him. No matter where he would go, she would run after him.  I was grinning from ear to ear to see this display. He was kind and gentle with her; never did he strike her with a hook or treat her in a rough manner.

Finally the sun set and all the tourists called it a night on Mai Khao beach. So did the man and YaYa.  Before he left, I walked to him and said, "That elephant really loves you,"  He replied in broken English, "I really love her."

 Sunset means home time for YaYa 

I hope the man always cares for YaYa and keeps the bull hook away from her.  I hope she has a chance to procreate and isn't made to amuse the tourists indefinitely and I pray the man always loves her the way he did on our last day in Phuket.  

Please remember and be discerning when it comes to elephant treks.  Like the trapped barking dogs in tiny Asian flats and condos, not all are treated with dignity and respect, and have the room to grow and exercise, the way they were meant to. The elephant population is reduced significantly in the world.  There is a very real fear they will quickly become extinct, so being raised by man may be the only way they will survive poachers and game hunters.