awwww i'd do anything to pet an elephant's nosey!

the rice paddies are much more farther along there than they are in japan. here the are barely sprouting for the most part.

I liked that elephant! (And his nosey.) His name is Mythri (not sure about the spelling) and he's about 50 years old.

And yeah, I don't think it ever gets cold here! Plus, it was raining, and raining. It miraculously stopped when we got to the elephant sanctuary, and started again when we climbed off the elephants.

That's so cute! I'm having a *squee* moment looking at the elephant taking a bath. I rode an elephant when I was a wee-girlie. They felt incredible.

Elephants are my most very favorite animal ever.
They are such amazing creatures.
I would LOVE to visit a sanctuary one day.
That last picture looks like he's laughing :)

Those are some pretty amazing pictures. Particularly the one on the bridge and the three that followed.

I rode an elephant once. A rather uncomfortable experience that was.. must've been where I was sitting.

My old photos of elephants are here.

Those are awesome. It's so green and beautiful there.

Who's your friend? She's adorable.

Bootiful pictures, as usual! Looks a lot like Kerala.

Come visit London soon!!! We've a lot to catch up on too. :)

Cutest!
It looks like it has freckles.

I can't help but wonder why an elephant "sanctuary" forces its animals, even the elderly ones, to give rides to tourists on its back (an elephant's back is one of its weakest parts), or why the mahout is carrying a spear with a spike on the end. :-/

Aww. :( I really don't know anything about elephants... I felt like we weren't a burden at all on the big guy. But maybe that wasn't the case? If I go back, I'll pay the fee but keep my feet on the ground.

I don't know what the deal with the stick was. I didn't see him touch the elephant with it.

The answer is obvious. The kindly mahout would never hurt an elephant. The spear is to kill tourists. Fortunately, Chu Hi is under my protection (her aura is marked) and was thus spared.

The hook [ankus, bull hook] is the mahout’s most important tool. It should be with him at all times when he is with the elephant, and he should know how to use it in such a way as to not injure the elephant. Beginning "Mahouts should be repeatedly told that the real purpose of the hook is not to cause pain but rather to apply strong, clear pressure to very particular control points that the elephant has been trained to react to (stop, turn left, turn right, kneel, stand still, etc.). The hook also extends the mahout’s reach - like doubling the length of his arm."

"The hook should be of a suitable size and design for the mahout’s hand and for the size and nature of the elephant. The head should be on tight, and the handle should be neither broken nor slippery. The point should not be so sharp as to easily pierce the skin of the elephant."

This in case anybody's interested in going into the mahout business....

Big Tracks

I don't know how it took me three days to see your comment! Thank you!

Hahahaha... I knew it was you by the title, before I scrolled down to your signoff. =D

hooray! new posts. wonderful photography as always.