Thailand
The Last Mahouts
They stood before us like condemned men, their proud tradition and heritage had run its course. These well-weathered, handsome men of the jungle are the last real mahouts, trained in the ancient and dangerous art of wild elephant capture, reports Rob Eime. The mighty Asian elephant (Elephas
revered and even worshipped for their
are even used in a form of polo that has
maximus) has featured large in Asian
intelligence, usefulness and beauty. They
attained elite status and substantial
culture for centuries. This enormous beast,
are perhaps best known for their use in
commercial support from luxury
a perennial symbol of strength and power,
heavy agricultural duties like logging and
consumer brands.
has been tamed and trained to perform
hauling loads. But times are changing and
in a variety of roles in agriculture, royal
the role of the Asian elephant is shifting
near the city of Surin, is a popular place
ceremonies, circuses and even combat.
away from menial tasks and becoming
for tourists to see a more cheerful side
restricted to ceremonial duties and tourist
of elephant culture. This lesser visited
performances. In India and Nepal, they
region of Thailand, part of the poorer,
Throughout India, Thailand, Cambodia, Burma and beyond, elephants are
The Ban Ta Klang Elephant Village,
January 2008
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largely agricultural Isan province, is rich in Khmer history with many Angkor-style temples spread throughout the territory. This region is the ancestral home of the Kui people, who have a long association with elephant handling, training and capture. The use of elephants in Khmer history is well documented, mainly through their use as a fearsome war machine, an ancient biological equivalent of the modern armoured division. This combat role is now totally ritualised and represented in the popular annual Surin Elephant Round Up, staged since the early 1960s to recall the times when elephants were mustered for great battles. Traditionally staged during midNovember, hundreds of elephants are gathered for a mammoth parade through the city. Animals are bedecked in colourful ceremonial costume and, along with their similarly attired human entourage, paraded to the stadium where the famous historic
The traditional elephant round-up, a
animals in to a Khedda (corral) where
far cry from the now, largely theatrical
they were later lassoed and separated for
recreation, was a treacherous and
individual training. In other parts of the
importance has shifted from labour to
dangerous affair requiring great skill and
region, individual animals were sometimes
leisure, the supply of elephants is more
courage from the men of the Kui villages.
captured in specially dug pits after being
than sufficient from domestic breeding.
Although methods of capture varied across
lured by other trained animals, called
Without the rigours of heavy work, the
the sub-continent, the Kui men of modern
monitors, or with food.
animals live longer, more contented lives
Thailand, Cambodia and Laos used mainly
with many forming part of a human family
lassoes and nooses.
conflicts are re-enacted. Now that the elephants’ economic
as would a pet. Animals raised in this way,
In a technique known as Mela Shikar,
After capture, the long and tedious training would begin with animals often
with doting human contact from birth,
the mahouts would ride atop their own
subjected to methods that would have
are more manageable and less tantrum-
specially trained elephants and, not unlike
animal cruelty activists in uproar. Even at
prone. The capture and subduing of wild
modern cowboys, wade into a herd of wild
the relatively modern elephant village at
elephants by our old mahouts in a noisy,
beasts, lassoing the choice animals by the
Ban Ta Klang, heavy chains were evident
often brutal ordeal, is now a thing of the
neck. Sometimes this was supplemented by
with at least one heavily shackled
past. While many may mourn the passing
a sturdy stick or post.
animal observed.
of this revered ancient tradition, for others the end can’t come soon enough.
Another widespread method used
Despite the chosen method of capture
by the Kui involved herding numerous
and training, the inherent dangers of these
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Shorter experiences on a ‘home stay’ basis cater for those with less time. Contact your local Tourism Authority of
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practices were always acknowledged and the Kui would perform the very solemn Phi Pakarn ceremony prior to the hunt to ward off possible misfortune. Despite their most earnest communions, many men would regularly die in the frenzied activity of the capture. Outside of the annual round-up festival, visitors can still experience some of the activities normally seen during the gala event. Young mahouts, or handlers, lead the elephants on processions and perform some of the typical tricks like throwing an oversize basketball, kicking a huge soccer ball in a penalty shoot-out, hula hoops and the mandatory standing on a tiny
in an elephant ride around the village,
charge. He manages an awkward smile for
stool. Not everyone will be impressed by
visiting the waterhole and stopping for an
us, but he’s the only one, the rest maintain
seeing these jungle-dwelling, herd animals
occasional snack of banana leaf and twigs.
a fearsome, intensely sober gaze, their faces
perform for the adoring crowd, but there is
The village maintains its own plantation
deeply etched with a lifetime’s treacherous
some genuine joy as the great beasts take
of bananas and pineapples to keep the
toil. Clearly this demonstration is not for
to the waterhole for some free-form water
ravenous appetites of the elephants at bay.
our entertainment. We are witnessing the
play. The herd almost disappears behind a
last glow of the mahout’s twilight, a flicker
huge curtain of mist as a free-for-all water
Meanwhile our veteran mahouts have
that may just symbolise the salvation of the
fight ensues and there’s much laughter as
gathered to perform their own Phi Pakarn
last of Asia’s wild elephants. n
all and sundry are soaked in the melee.
for our edification. The five senior Kui men, lean sun-dried and heavily tattooed,
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experience with the elephants can
gather earnestly around a compact
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volunteer to go ‘underfoot’. This example
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of extreme audience participation,
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demonstrates the animals’ innate instinct
audible tones, they gather into a tight
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huge feet. A volunteer lies prostrate on
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n Emirates Holidays offers a three-hour
the ground before the elephant while the
would have next ridden boldly into the
Bangkok City and Temples Tour by coach
mahout instructs the beast to place its
jungle, often for months at a time, to bring
at the destination that includes the Golden
foot on the subject’s back or bottom, even
back fresh animals for work and battle.
Buddha and Marble Temple. The Grand
Those seeking a particularly intimate
indulging in some playful massage. But as
The men, all aged in the seventies, stand
Palace Tour visits the most beautiful and
mentioned earlier, with training they can
before us, while our cameras click furiously.
sacred sites of the city.
be persuaded to overcome this reluctance
One clutches a ceremonial buffalo horn
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to injure or kill.
that issues only a low muted wheeze
further information.
A typical visitor experience culminates
despite his concerted effort to trumpet a
saving asia’s wild elephants
elephants left throughout Asia, but their
of these endangered large mammals
survival is finely balanced. Despite the three-
and their habitats. In Thailand, WWF
to-five tonne bulk, the Asian elephant fares
is supporting the management and
The last of Asia’s wild elephants are under
badly in its interaction with humans and they
monitoring of elephants in the Western
threat from severe habitat destruction,
are still routinely killed in some rural areas
Forest Complex, which is the largest
ivory poaching and some remaining wild
when raiding crops and gardens in search of
remaining area of protected forest in
capturing, particularly in Myanmar, where
food. The delicate Sumatran and Sri Lankan
Southeast Asia and home to more than 33
they are still used in illegal logging.
sub-species make up barely 10 per cent of
per cent of Thailand’s wild elephants. WWF
that remnant population.
is also working with the Karen people in
It is estimated that perhaps 4,000 elephants remain in Thailand, over half
WWF created the Asian Rhino and
western Thailand to study the distribution,
of which are domesticated. The WWF
Elephant Action Strategy (AREAS) in 1998
abundance, and ecology of elephants in
believes there are about 30,000 wild
to conserve the remaining populations
the Thung Yai Wildlife Sanctuary.
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