Elephants are synonymous with Thai life.
We learned several interesting facts about them:
- Gestation is 22 months (oh my!)
- A new born calf emerges into a loving network of mother, aunties and cousins
- Female calves spend most of their life with the same family
- Male calves become too rambunctious at about 12 years and are expelled from the herd
- Average life span is 55 years, some live much longer
- They mourn the death of fellow elephants
- They have personalities unique to each elephant
- They can learn over 40 voice commands
The elephant camps or farms, present a show which includes painting, playing soccer, stacking logs and other various tricks.
Each morning, they have bath time, which was so fun to watch!
We rode elephants twice. Enjoy various photos of us riding through the jungle.
Sitting on an elephant before her bath time.
Off we go, on our ride....
Our driver got off and took our photo while the elephant reached to get fresh grass. 
Returning safe and sound.....
This is our second ride. 
We thoroughly enjoyed the personality of the elephants, and loved riding through the absolutely gorgeous jungle. It was so hot each day and we got a kick out of the elephants blowing air through their trunks on us.
Hi Aunt Betty,
ReplyDeleteWhat fun! I love elephants too. In fact last year I checked out a library DVD that followed the gestation and birth of an elephant, dolphin, and dog. They had a camera in the womb for part of the growing time . . . absolutely incredible how God makes things grow. It was fun watching the trunk grow from a few cells to the actual trunk. I also love how social the elephants are with each other. Some scientist discovered that elephants make deep sounds we can't hear, but they can! :) I wonder what they were saying while you were traipsing through the jungle with them? "Hmmm. These Geogians are pretty cool!"