{"id":4271,"date":"2019-02-21T23:41:55","date_gmt":"2019-02-22T07:41:55","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.jeffersonscher.com\/ttw\/?p=4271"},"modified":"2019-03-31T17:51:20","modified_gmt":"2019-04-01T00:51:20","slug":"an-ethical-elephant-experience","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.jeffersonscher.com\/ttw\/2019\/02\/an-ethical-elephant-experience\/","title":{"rendered":"An Ethical Elephant Experience"},"content":{"rendered":"

It\u2019s our last full day in Phuket, and there is so much we won\u2019t be able to see and do on this island. Today we will visit with elephants, shop for souvenirs, have massages by the pool, and share one last home-cooked dinner at the villa. Everything else will have to wait for \u201cnext time.\u201d <\/p>\n

Thursday, February 21, 2019<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

We started our day with another substantial breakfast of eggs, bacon, sausages, sausages wrapped in bacon, fruit, toast, etc. If we were staying longer, I might ask our house managers to prepare a Thai breakfast, as I\u2019m sure locals do not eat like this. But we\u2019re not complaining. Our van arrived, and we soon were en route to the Eastern side of the island with one extra cell phone on board. But that\u2019s a story for another day.<\/p>\n

Elephant tourism is unavoidably controversial. Whether forced to perform tricks in a circus, or to carry tourists in uncomfortable chairs on their backs, elephants that have avoided or retired from logging work may nevertheless have a difficult, painful and\/or unhealthy life in tourism. We don\u2019t want to patronize attractions that may be cruel to animals, so we’ve been directed to a sanctuary. The term means different things to different people. Based on Geneva’s research, we will be visiting the Phuket Elephant Sanctuary<\/a> (\u201cPES\u201d).<\/p>\n

PES rescues (buys) elephants who are no longer fit for other work, due to injuries or old age, and provides them a sort of retirement. Tourist dollars support their acquisition, food and healthcare, and in exchange, the elephants tolerate being moved from place to place for better viewing and photography. There might come a day when someone pays for these elephants to return to the wild without being put on display for tourists, but that time does not appear to have come yet. So we pay to observe the elephants and in so doing, we make this kind of place possible.<\/p>\n

After checking in at the office, we climbed aboard 4WD vehicles and headed into the forest. At the sanctuary, we gathered with other tourists in the open-air dining room for an orientation. PES currently has eight older female elephants here, and after watching an introductory video, we had our first encounter with them. The guide for our little group (Boy?) handed us several pieces of fruit from a large basket, which we then offered one at a time to an elephant. When offered a banana, the elephant daintily clasps it with the end of her trunk and places it into her mouth. Her approach to a much larger wedge of watermelon is different: she cradles it in her trunk and somehow avoids dropping it before it passes her lips. In our line, there was a young girl who seemed terrified of the elephant, which I can understand if you\u2019ve ever had a trunk grope you looking for a snack. These elephants were well behaved, but she wasn\u2019t convinced. I don\u2019t think it helped that her mother told her this was her one opportunity and she would never have the chance to do this again. Is fear of life-long regret really the best way to handle this situation? But you probably know I should not give parenting advice.<\/p>\n

My hand got slimed by elephant snot, so I took quick bathroom break before we headed over to the \u201cHydrotherapy Pool,\u201d an accommodation for elephants who cannot safely use the natural pond on the property. Tourists could help cool down the elephants with a sprayer, and watch the elephants eat slippery cucumbers. Unfortunately, the elephants didn\u2019t return the favor and spray the tourists; that would have been much more exciting.<\/p>\n

We set out on a hike around the property in our \u201cwellies\u201d — rubber boots we all put on because it was a bit muddy. We paused in shelters for shade and watched elephants eat leaves and stems. There also was some other wildlife to photograph: birds, dragonflies, and a dog that accompanied us from time to time. When we were just about worn out from the heat, we returned to our starting point to change back into real shoes, visit the gift shop, and enjoy a vegetarian buffet lunch.<\/p>\n

\"\"Guide interacting with elephant, Phuket Elephant Sanctuary<\/span><\/a><\/p>

\"\"Hydrotherapy with a watchful eye, Phuket Elephant Sanctuary<\/span><\/a><\/p>

\"\"Elephants Eating, Phuket Elephant Sanctuary<\/span><\/a><\/p>

\"\"Elephants Eating, Phuket Elephant Sanctuary<\/span><\/a><\/p>

\"\"Elephant Eating close-up, Phuket Elephant Sanctuary<\/span><\/a><\/p>

\"\"Elephant Eating close-up, Phuket Elephant Sanctuary<\/span><\/a><\/p>

\"\"Getting the low angle, Phuket Elephant Sanctuary<\/span><\/a><\/p>

\"\"Friendly Canine Companion at Phuket Elephant Sanctuary<\/span><\/a><\/p>

\"\"Intermediate Egret at Phuket Elephant Sanctuary<\/span><\/a><\/p>

\"\"Dragonfly resting at Phuket Elephant Sanctuary<\/span><\/a><\/p>

\"\"Vegetarian Buffet Lunch Selections, Phuket Elephant Sanctuary<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n
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