Saturday, January 4, 2014

A Day With Elephants

Ali really likes elephants. She is also an animal lover and was very concerned about the ethical implications of spending a day with the elephants. After finding an outfit that had a good reputation for animal welfare we were happy with our experience.

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Ali really loves elephants in case you couldn’t tell from the picture.

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The day started with a bareback ride on an elephant. This resulted in a terrified Ali going for a spin.

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Here is a Momma and her baby. The baby is cute as can be and he loves to play. That really means dodging him as he tries to steamroll you!

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The day was spent learning elephant commands, learning about their diet, trainers and making some of their food. Here is Ali making a special vegan treat for them.

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Here is a happy elephant getting his vegan treat. 

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Ali made a special treat for elephant momma as well.  Note - Jim's legs in the back as he snuggles with the baby.

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Ali and Jim giving the baby a Thai massage.

By the end of the day we had gone for a ride on an elephant. We had seen them roam free by themselves at some point of the day and they really enjoyed their time in the river. I wish I had pictures of them playing in the river or the video of them playing a tourists harmonica. It is clear that they have deep relationships with their mahouts and their mahouts treated them well during our visit. There were no wounds, blood or signs of abuse which me and Ali were worried about. I think they had just as good time as we did considering all the treats and attention they got. Hope you enjoyed the ride as well.

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