Elephant Nature Park Visitor Information Pack Purpose Inform visitors of the importance of safety and outline the concept of Elephant Nature Park. To assist guides to work within a set of requirements to ensure the safety for the visitors in their care. Provide visitors with interesting information and enhance their experience whilst in the presence of Elephants. Contents 1 -­‐ Elephant Nature Park Concept & Safety 2 -­‐ Elephant Nature Park information: timeline and land 3 -­‐ Important items to cover 4 -­‐ Chain Free Shelters 5 -­‐ The Bull Yards 6 -­‐ Positive reinforcement 7 -­‐ Breaking the Spirit 8 -­‐ Elephant kitchen 9 -­‐ Elephant behavior -­‐ Body language 10 -­‐ Elephant facts Version 2 1 1 -­‐ Elephant Nature Park Concept & Safety Elephant Nature Park has a very clear vision, which includes 3 stages. Unique Experience Seeing rescued Elephants recover in a caring environment that aims to help old, sick or injured Elephants regain their health and dignity. Experiencing the animal community living in open pasture together and cared for by people who wish to see them return to freedom. The Spirit of Asian Elephants -­‐ Living In Dignity Witnessing Elephants that have managed to recover from their tortured life, freed from trekking chairs and daily work, along with old, sick or injured Elephants, living side by side in a supported environment building family groups and returning to natural Elephant behavior in their naturally formed communities. Thereby allowing humans to respect Elephants and help them regain their dignity. Hands off -­‐ Returning to Freedom Providing a natural habitat for Elephants to live as natural existence as they can without support from humans, continuing to build their families and roam and forage for their own food. Allowing humans to witness the freedom of Elephants. • We care for every living creature • We want humans to share love with animals • We want Elephants to be loved and not hurt • We respect Elephants -­‐ Elephants come first, humans come second • An Elephant is SOMEONE not SOMETHING Elephant Nature Park Rules • Guests must learn and follow the safety rules and listen to their guide at all times • Understand that posing with Elephants is disrespectful and not natural • Understand Elephants do not like too many people around them • Understand Elephants are not happy with people touching them • Do not touch Elephant ears • Take photos from a distance, do not stand too close and never use a flash • Guests must never be closer to the Elephant than their guide • Guests must be on the same side of the Elephant as their guide • Do not surround the Elephant • Do not expect or ask Elephants: (These are all 'elephant show’ or ‘street begging' activities) o Perform tricks o Give kisses o Put their trunk up to pose for a picture o 'sawatdii squeak' o Stay in one place so that people can pose with an Elephant • Treat every Elephant with caution and respect o Some of our Elephants are blind o Some of them are mentally unstable o Some of them have hurt people before they came here o At least one of them has killed a mahout before they came here • Do not reach out to touch, pat or grab the elephant's trunk if you have no food to feed them • Do not tease an Elephant • Do not reach out to touch or pat the Elephant's upper trunk/head Version 2 2 •
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Keep far behind the red line at all times Never sit on the railing at the feeding balcony Never stand next to an Elephant's head Only hand food under the curve of their trunk Never put food directly into and Elephants mouth If food drops, do not lean down to pick up the food Never reach in to take food from the Elephants basket Never walk up to an Elephant unless you are with a guide on the ground or on the platform Never stand in the Elephants blind spots -­‐ Directly in front or close to the back of the Elephant Do not yell or scream excitedly when at the river Allow the Elephants to enjoy their time in the river Never approach elephants when they are in their shelters Dress must be polite and respectful of Thai culture -­‐ no swim suits or lots of body exposed Overnight guests or Volunteers • Do not take food up to behind mahout village • Elephants must find their own food and enjoy their freedom • Never go close to these Elephants • Maintain the Elephants natural behavior Guide Rules • Guides must play the safety video to guests and ask and answer, if there are any questions • Guides are responsible for guest safety and make sure the safety rules are understood • If mahouts ask Elephants to do any tricks or perform, take your guests away and report back • Guides should remain professional at all times and refrain using social media & playing on phone • Make sure guests listen you • Be serious when you talk about safety • Make sure guests respect you and the safety rules • Westerners are used to rules and quickly identify double standards. You must follow the rules • Be with your guests at all times • Do not leave guests to feed elephants on their own • Explain about the food baskets -­‐ Only take food from 1 basket to feed the right Elephant • Keep together and stay with guests at all times • Do not expect mahouts to watch your guests or keep them safe • Never allow guests to grab the elephant's trunk or wrap their arms around the trunk. • Never ask the Elephant to wrap their trunk around a person to take food from them! Version 2 3 2 -­‐ Elephant Nature Park information: timeline and land 1992 -­‐ Lek rescued her first elephant Mae Perm. Lek devoted her life to helping Thailand's working elephants. 1995 -­‐ Lek founded Elephant Nature Park. The original land is 'Elephant Haven' 150 acres of leased government land, forested mountainside, behind the Mae Taeng Elephant camp. We still have this land but we do not really use it at this time. 2003 -­‐ ENP moved to the present location. When the land was bought it was around 50 acres. It has now grown to about 90 acres with more acres of land across the road and across the river. When we moved here we had nine elephants. At this time only five of the original elephants remain. The money for the land was donated by Bert and Christine Von Roemer of the Serengeti foundation from Austin Texas. We have another piece of land not far from here called the 'New Haven'... this is about 200 acres. 20% is forest and 75% was cleared for farmland before it was bought. At this time this land is not safe for elephants to stay there, but maybe sometime in the future. One of our goals is to continue to buy more land so that we can release the healthy elephants to a safe place in the jungle in the future. BUT -­‐ it is difficult to find the perfect land where there are no humans nearby. 3 -­‐ Important items to cover SAFETY! Explain Concepts: • Respect for Elephants • Our goal is to teach not entertain • Bull yards • Chain free shelters • Positive reinforcement target training • Breaking the spirit • Our elephants who have not had their spirit broken • Elephant kitchen • Elephant clinic Key elephant stories: • Dao Tong • Jan Peng • Porn Sawan • Medo • Kham Sai • Mintra • Mae Perm • Jokia • … more Including logging, long-­‐term ownership, landmine injury, forced breeding, such bad abuse that they cannot trust and are dangerous, street begging, the first of Lek's elephants and blindness. Version 2 4 4 -­‐ Chain Free Shelters We are very proud of our chain free overnight shelters, which is safer and more comfortable for elephants. Without chains, elephants can move around as much as they want. It is more comfortable to lay down and if they share a shelter with a friend or family member, they can sleep close to each other more easily. Most working elephants have worn chains when not working their entire lives. We want to give them a chain free life. Currently, not all of our elephants are chain free as we are constantly rescuing more elephants and building new accommodation and that takes time. But we will not stop building until all elephants are chain free. 5 -­‐ The Bull Yards We have two bull yards in the park. • Hope (approx. 14yrs) • Chang Yim (approx. 5yrs and Jungle Boy (approx. 13yrs) Each yard has a training wall so that our bulls can be trained with positive reinforcement so that we can give them medical care safely. We have the boys in these yards for the following reasons: • None of them have had their spirit broken. • They do not see the mahout as their boss. • As they grow up they become more stubborn and hard to manage. • They could hurt another elephant or a person because they are so big and strong. • We do not use the hook to control our elephants • We do not want to keep the boys chained all of the time. • In the bull yards, they can be free all of the time and not get into trouble. • The last reason is we don't want any more babies. ENP does not have a breeding program. The only way to stop reproduction is to separate the males from the females. If we keep making babies we will not have space to rescue older elephants who have been treated badly. The boys will not stay in these yards forever. We hope that in the future we will have jungle where we can release them so that they can roam free and be kings of the jungle. You must ensure people stay away from the bull yards. Version 2 5 6 -­‐ Positive reinforcement Training wall: • A safe barrier between the elephant and the trainer or vet treating the elephant • Work without worry of hit by a trunk or kicked by a foot • Special windows for ears, head, feet and a chute for enema At the training wall everything is done in a positive way. No force or yelling or chains are used. The elephant chooses to participate and is trained with a target pole to understand what the trainer wants. Target pole: A long pole with a soft padded end used to gently touch the body part that the trainer wants the elephant to present. • Learn to present all of their different body parts • Different medical procedures • Without stress to the elephants Reward Each elephant learns at a different speed -­‐ if they are cautious they will take more time to become comfortable. • Most really enjoy • Mental stimulation • Positive experience Being interested in the reward is very important for the training to be successful • Stopped any extra feeding on the ground • We only feed at the platform at the assigned feeding times • More interested in the trainer • Their bellies are not full from getting extra snacks out in the field • Elephants listen to them better when they try to lead them with food • Feed them at the wrong times and for the wrong reasons -­‐ we can teach the wrong behaviors We are very proud to have this style of training to help to care for our elephants in a respectful manner. Many elephants have bad feet from over work and abuses. It is important for us to be able to: • Trim their nails • Clean and treat abscesses when they erupt • Help us to do this safely When a training session is in progress, we must keep our distance and be quiet and not distract the elephant or trainer Version 2 6 7 -­‐ Breaking the Spirit Breaking the spirit is something that happens to captive working Elephants everywhere in the world. This has been happening for more than 6000 years. As long as Elephants have been slaves for man. Babies are taken away from their mothers at around 2 to 4 years old. They are placed in a cage that is so small they can hardly move. It is called a crush. They are tied tightly by their wrists and ankles. They are not allowed to eat, sleep or drink water. They become very weak. Men stab the young Elephant in the feet, bum, ears and above the eyes. They stab their trunk if they try to reach out to grab or swing at anything. The men yell and scream, build a fire very close by. They never want the Elephant to feel safe. This can go on for many days at a time, as long as two weeks. Some baby Elephants give up and die during this time. Others grow up to be crazy Elephants who will never trust humans again. One day they may decide to kill a human. Other Elephants accept to be the slave to man and do their best to do what they are told to keep from getting beaten. This is what happens so that people can be close to Elephants and use them for work and entertainment. People who work Elephants think that you must break the Elephants spirit so that they will accept the human as their master and do what they say. Breaking the spirit is also meant to break the bond between mother and baby so both will do their job and not care where the other one is. Here at ENP we do not believe in this practice. Our (8) young Elephants (Hope, Jungle Boy, Tong Jaan, Faa Mai, Chang Yim, Navann, Dok Mai and Yindee) have not and will not go through this cruel training. In the future we hope to set them free in a protected jungle so they may live free like wild Elephants. The best thing we can do is not support any kind of activity that involves elephants working or doing tricks for humans. Please do not feed street begging Elephants, do not go to Elephant shows, do not ride Elephants, do not go to the circus, even the zoo is not really a good place for Elephants. We should only enjoy Elephants doing natural things like playing in the mud or water or playing together. Version 2 7 8 -­‐ Elephant kitchen Fruit and Vegetables prepared in the elephant kitchen. • Support local farmers giving them seeds, ask them to grow their crops chemical free •
We buy their crop when it is ready to be harvested, the farmers deliver the fruit and vegetables •
Approx. 2 tons of fruit and veg pass through kitchen per day! •
Weekly volunteers help unload trucks, wash and prepare the food •
4 full time staff run the elephant kitchen. •
We make banana balls and steam pumpkin for older elephants whose teeth are worn out •
Soft and easy to digest for the girls with digestion problems •
An average size elephant eats about 250 lbs (113kg) of food a day •
About 80 lbs (37kg) fruit and veg, the rest is elephant grass, corn stalks or hay •
Each adult elephant costs about 800 THB to feed a day •
An elephant eats about 1 to 5 percent of their body weight each day A healthy elephant with good teeth typically digests about 44% of the protein and nutrition from the food they eat. This means that older elephants with poor teeth, the less nutrition they can absorb. This is why we give them special foods. Version 2 8 9 -­‐ Elephant behavior : Body language It is very important to understand elephant body language and behavior. We do not want to cause the elephants to feel stress and we want to keep our guests out of dangerous situations. Holding their ears out wide, they are trying to look very big: • This means they think something around them is dangerous and they want to scare whatever or whoever it is. At this time the elephant does not feel comfortable and could be unpredictable. Never go close to an elephant when they are holding their ears like this. The elephant could charge at you or hit you if you are already too close. Tilting their head downward towards you, this is also a threat: • This means the elephant is not comfortable with you being so close. They want you to back off. If you do not, there is a chance they may try to knock you down. Even if they are afraid to really do it, (because of breaking the spirit) you need to move away. You are causing the elephant a lot of stress. Pull their ears in towards their head and up a bit: • This also means whoever is close is annoying them and causing them stress. Elephants DO NOT like us to touch their ears! REMEMBER: The elephant's ears have been stabbed and pulled on their whole lives, so they are very sensitive and have many bad memories about humans touching their ears. Whenever we touch their ears we are not thinking of the elephant and what they want. Curls their trunk up and lifts their head up a bit: • This is also a threat that they want you to back off and would like to hit you. Please respect how the elephant feels and back off. Trunk thumping: • When elephants thump their trunks on the ground this means they think there is some kind of danger. Sometimes the danger is real, sometimes the danger is only in their mind. They thump their trunks to let the other elephants know they are worried. When the elephants do this please stay far away from them as they can become dangerous or do something unexpected. Ear flapping: • When elephants flap their ears it DOES NOT mean they are happy. Elephants flap their ears to keep themselves cool. Sometimes they flap their ears very quickly, after they have all ran to see each other or after mating has occurred. This kind of ear flapping is due to excitement, but it is still meant to cool them down. Trunk draping: • When elephants lift up their heads and put their trunks on another elephant's head or back, this is their way of showing they feel they are a higher status (more dominant) than the other elephant. This is a friendly, non-­‐aggressive way of showing this. Trunk to mouth: • This is a form of greeting between elephants. It’s like 'Hi there, what have you been eating or where have you been?' Version 2 9 Trunks Elephants use their trunks to comfort and show affection. They are constantly touching each other. When a baby lies down to take a nap, the older elephants will crowd around the young elephant to make shade and to protect the baby. One or two of them will usually be touching the baby with their trunks. The elephant's sense of smell is amazing. They get most of their information about what is going on around them and the other elephants through their sense of smell. When elephants hold their trunks up in the air, they are getting information about what and who is around them through scent. Stereotypic Behavior -­‐ (ster-­‐eo-­‐typ-­‐ic) Stereotypic behavior is common in many different kinds of captive animals who are kept chained or in small cages. This behavior is considered to be 'self soothing'. This means the animal is trying to comfort themself, to relieve stress because they are unable to act naturally. Rocking, swaying or bobbing their heads is stereotypic behavior. Usually the elephant develops this behavior at a young age and or when they are kept chained or handcuffed for long periods of time. They are very stressed and frustrated so they begin to rock, sway and bob their heads. When elephants are taught to dance, they are forced to do stereotypic behaviors. Sometimes this can actually drive the elephant crazy and then when they are chained and alone they continue this stressful movement. NEVER is this behavior a good thing. It does not mean the elephant is excited or eager to see someone. A dancing elephant is a stressed and depressed elephant, whether they are performing in a show or chained and alone. Some elephants never get this habit, while others do. It could depend on the kind of personality the elephant has. Even when some elephants come to live at a place like ENP and they are mostly free all day, they still do not lose this habit. Sadly, some of our elephants still have not lost this habit, even though their lives are not stressful or lived in chains. Some of our elephants will still rock or sway when they are waiting for food to come or when they are waiting to be moved to a new area. Or when they are waiting to be released in the morning. Version 2 10 10 -­‐ Elephant facts: •
Asian Elephant is also 'Elephas Maximus' or Pachyderm •
Asian Elephants are endangered •
40,000 Asian Elephants •
Thailand 2000 (captive working elephants) •
1000 wild elephants •
Only males have big tusks •
Some males only have tushes or small tusks •
Some females have tushes •
The tusk is like an incisor tooth •
The tusk keeps growing for as long as the elephant lives •
After they reach 18 to 20 years old the tusk grows about 2 centimeters a year •
The tush does not grow as fast as the tusk •
The tush is made from a softer ivory which can crack or break easily •
Elephants use their tusks or tushes to peel bark from trees •
They can sometimes injure each other with their tusks when they fight or even when playing •
If a tusk or tush breaks off it may lead to infection. Sometimes it will stop growing if broken •
Their skin is about 1 ½” thick in some places but in other places very thin, about 1/8” thick •
Their skin is very sensitive, they can feel an insect biting •
Elephants do not sweat like humans. They can only sweat above their toenails •
Elephants flap their ears to cool off as they have big veins in their ears and cooled blood flows back through their body •
Dirt and mud can help to keep them cool or help to keep them warm •
They throw dirt or mud on themselves to protect from the sun and insects •
Their body hair helps hold the dirt and mud in place •
The average lifespan of an Elephant is about 65 years old. The oldest elephant on record died at 82 •
An Elephant is full grown at 18 to 20 years old Version 2 11 •
Their eyesight is very poor. Their night vision is the same as a human. In bright sunlight they cannot see well. They cannot see far away. They cannot see right in front of themself. They cannot see behind themself. We do not really know if the elephant sees in color or not. •
An Elephant's hearing and sense of smell are very good. This is how they get most of the information about what and who is around them •
An Elephant's brain weighs between 8 to 12 pounds •
Elephants are pregnant for 18 to 22 months. Babies need to drink their mother's milk for 2 1/2 years •
Females only ovulate three times a year for 18 to 72 hours each time. They can only get pregnant when they ovulate •
Some females can get pregnant as early as 6 years old and some females can still get pregnant until up to 60 years old •
In the wild, the boy babies would stay with their families until they were 9 to 11 years old. The girls grow up and stay with their mothers forever •
Elephants lay down to sleep at night for about 4 hours. Some elephants, because of size or injuries, cannot lay down to sleep, so they can only doze, but not really sleep. Elephants do have dreams •
Elephants have eight major muscles on either side of their trunk, with around 150,000 tiny muscle bundles •
When an elephant dies, we give them a Buddhist funeral. They are buried next to where they died. We do not want to disrespect them by dragging their bodies. •
If the elephant was part of a family group or had friends, the other elephants will mourn the loss of their friend for a while. But usually if the elephant was very old, the other elephants accept that it was time for that elephant to die and they do not really mourn. Version 2 12