The Elephants
This was Fatpaps third visit to Phuket. The first he was 21 and on the back of a Nepalese Himalayan trekking adventure. The second was when his daughter was born, and this one as Alannah turned 21 (well she’s 22 but you appreciate the symmetry). And in those times a visit to the famed elephant sanctuaries was something he’d wanted to do but never had. Any internet search will reveal a plethora of options however as all visitors to Phuket quickly discover, you only need book the day before with whatever tourist booth you stumble upon by the side of the road after your daily hashish or cocktail intake.
Now, elephant tourism carries with it a huge bone of contention and having only last year struggled with that very dilemma in India, it was imperative any interaction with said pachyderms be ethical, sustainable, and above all humane. After careful research Phuket Elephant Care Sanctuary met all criteria and a half-day tour was booked (the day before on the side of the street) accordingly.
Without building to a prophetic crescendo or drawing on prose in effort to divulge the truth, this was single handedly one of the greatest encounters Fatpap has ever experienced his entire life.
Lets unpack that further…
Like every tour in Phuket it started with a mini bus arriving at the hotel at the allotted hour….yeah yeah yeah….it then picked up more patrons from others hotels….yeah yeah yeah….but on arrival to Phuket Elephant Care Sanctuary everything changed. The place was spartan. Bordering on shite if first impressions were to remain, but they didn’t and the place quickly unveiled its truth and core value lying deeper than the newly trowelled concrete pavilion or souvenir stand could have hinted.
Coffee and light snacks were offered while we waited for other guests to arrive and a casual stroll revealed the swimming pond, a beautiful marble temple and various fact sheets on the subtle differences between African and Asian elephants. It was clearly evident the facility was “about the elephant” and not the tourists dollar. A young guide took the floor with passion and exuberance and spoke of “his” elephants with endearment and love setting the tone of the day to come. An outline of the morning was detailed, but in truth, everyone just wanted to meet the stars of the show.
The first part of the day was breakfast preparation. Now what does a 4 tonne elephant eat for breakfast? … well, whatever the hell it wants. Today though it would be a blend of sugar cane, bananas and watermelon. A prep-station was set up for everyone to produce their breakfast bucket before hooking said bucket onto a fixed rail system leading to the elephant feeding area. Under the canopy of thatch roofed huts within what would be considered a jungle environment, a herd of elephants stood ready for perhaps the best part of their day.
There are about 20 elephants at the sanctuary and most were there for breakfast. Given the facility has varying tours of varying lengths with varying guest numbers, the elephants are “rotated positions” every day to ensure each receive the same treatment. But given they eat a shit tonne of food all are pretty much there for breakfast. It’s a system that worked and one obviously well rehearsed. All the gentle giants knew exactly what to do and you could easily approach and feed any mammal you pleased. It was without a doubt one of the most cathartic and purest experiences imaginable.
The elephant has for centuries been both iconic and integral to Thai society having considerable impact on their culture. The official national animal, in the early 1900’s there were an estimated 100,000 captive elephants in Thailand. By 2007 that figure was as low as 3,500 captive and approximately 1,000 wild elephants left in the country. Consequently, the elephant was listed as an endangered species in Thailand in 1986.
Logging was banned in Thailand in 1989 which at the time was the primary occupation of Thai elephants and their mahouts. Most elephant trainers then turned to the entertainment industry and tourism to try and make a living. Many took their elephants to Bangkok, roaming the streets with baskets of fruit for the tourists to buy and feed the animal and the elephants were forced to perform tricks in exchange for money. In June 2010 elephant protection laws were passed making those acts illegal.
There are numerous sanctuaries like Phuket Elephant Care throughout Thailand served with the task of rescuing enslaved elephants and providing them a safe and hospitable place to be in the wild as best they can. Prior to the COVID pandemic an elephant could be purchased for as little as 1 million baht (AUD 42,000). That figure today has ballooned to around 20 million baht (AUD 850,000) such is the recovering economy’s need to have them back in service more than ever for tourism and other forms of revenue.
Today’s elephants have been rescued over the years from circuses, logging plantations or less than ethical tourist attractions and with close observation you could see that. The circus elephant for example would rhythmically dance associating the performance with food, and while elegant, was actually very sad. Over time he is learning he doesn’t need to perform anymore to be loved and cared for. These majestic animals are an absolute beauty to behold up close and when feeding them breakfast, hugging their trunks or “cuddling” them as best you can, you can’t help but feel joyous.
Fatpap shed a tear at one point. Hugging the oldest of creatures he felt his torment, perhaps sympathising. These animals are truly unique and this experience, only 20 minutes in, was simply magical.
After breakfast we humans returned to the main pavilion to get briefed and changed for the next part of this adventure. Only a few elephants would participate further from here, the others will be loved by other tour groups during the day, and we would be joined by a beautiful 40yr old female and 5 and 6yrs old baby brothers.
Next we stripped down to our bathers and walked bear footed to a nearby mud pit. There waiting for us in the ankle deep richly coloured muddy waters were 3 elephants and their mahouts. Elephants quite naturally, and sometimes just for sheer enjoyment, love taking mud baths. With very little hair and no sweat glands to help with cooling, elephants use the cooler mud to regulate their body temperature and provide a protective layer to shield their body from the sun's rays. It also acts as relief from insect bites and helps remove any parasites from their skin. Whatever the reasons, they absolutely adore the opportunity as did we when invited to help in the process.
With fists full of mud we covered their entire bodies as they flapped their ears and tails in happiness, often pushing back against your hand the way a dog sometimes does when scratching behind their ear. Fatpap is just over 6 foot but was dwarfed by the largest of these creatures, but the whole time it felt safe and comfortable with the elephants so very gentle despite their size and cumbersome nature. The baby brothers too welcomed the attention allowing for some great photo opportunities rarely leaving each other’s side.
Fatpap had ridden elephants while chasing tigers in Nepal. He'd swayed with them to the peak of The Amber Fort in India, but this, this experience was very different. This was about the elephant more than him and standing eye to eye covered in mud with a strong trunk wrapped around the body is the only way these magnificent creatures should be treated.
It was now time for a bath and we all headed down the path to a manmade swimming pond to help wash away all that mud and cool down even more. In the waste deep water the elephants again flourished and instinctively dropped to their knees to sink lower in the water and allow us to reach their backs with the provided scrubbers. It was playful and relaxing with only a hint of concern should they suddenly roll over and trap you under water ! Apparently that never happens….much. They rolled their trunks and sprayed water as if on display. If the experience could have gotten any better it suddenly just did being allowed to swim with these creatures and play with them so joyfully in the pond.
The last stage of elephant activities was a final rinse with fresh water in a purpose-built concrete arena covered by a series of overhead pipes and jets to spray the water evenly. More brooms were provided for more scrubbing which the elephants never seemed to tire of. Raising their trunks they captured the fresh water and drank it heartedly showing up close just how dexterous and skilled the appendage actually is. It was a final opportunity to be with the beautiful animals and we all milked it for every second. The elephants said goodbye, curling their trunks and trumpeting as instructed by their mahout and it was sad seeing them go. As they exited the two baby brothers joined trunk and tail leaving us all spellbound by their beauty, demeanour and gracious approach to us humans.
We returned to the pavilion far greater moved than when leaving to have a shower of our own and remove the build up of mud seemingly located in every bodily crevice. The facility as mentioned was spartan but the showers spot on. Clean, warm and tidy bringing all guests back to normality very quickly. The final stage of this half day tour was lunch, but lunch with a twist. We were to make our own under instruction of the in-house Thai Cooking School. Pad Thai and Som-Tom was made by everyone then accompanied with steamed rice, fried chicken wings and Thai Green curry. It was the perfect lunch to a perfect morning enjoyed on long refectory tables with everyone present.
The final, simplistic touch Phuket Elephant Care left on us was each hand painting a plaster fridge magnet of an elephant to commemorate our visit while waiting for our transport home. We reflected on the magnificent elephants and the wonderful morning they, and their carers all gave us on the last day of 2023.
