The Last Mahouts

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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volunteers typically spend their time walking

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the animals to and from their overnight

the essential skills of elephant care and

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idea of how these programmes run.

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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

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n Emirates flies 19 times weekly between

volunteer to go ‘underfoot’. This example

makeshift temple adorned with ripe, fresh

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fruit and the head of a plump pig. In barely

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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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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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