For hundreds of years teak trees were logged in northern Thailand. Elephants have always been used for logging in Thailand. Logging teams consisted of 5-6 elephants and about 15 men, and they worked 3-5 months at a stretch in the teak forests.

Elephants are long-lived and intelligent animals. Scientists rate their intelligence as the same as that of dolphins. A working elephant is in its prime at the age of 20 and will work until it is 60, when it is retired. A mature elephant can lift logs of up to 400 kgs (they lift those loads with their tusks) and can drag loads of up to 1.5 tons.

A mahout is a person who handles an elephant from its early years, and must have a thorough knowledge of the animal.

The Centre for Training Baby Elephants near Lampang is now the only place where elephants and mahouts are trained.

A baby elephant suckles milk from its mother and gradually is weaned to a normal elephant diet. At the age of three, the baby is moved to a corral with other baby elephants for a week to make it independent from its mother. It is introduced to its two mahouts, and all three will begin their training together. This training will last for 7 years, at least 5 in the forest learning how to handle logs and perform other tasks. They must also get used to the sounds of saws and trucks.

Mahouts control elephants in three ways: voice command, prodding with a stick ending in a blunt hook, and by pressure on the elephant's feet and legs.

One mahout is the foot mahout, and gets the animal used to a work harness and leg chains. The other mahout is the neck mahout, who rides seated on the elephant's neck. The neck mahout applies pressure behind the elephant's ears to direct the animal left or right.

There is a close bond between elephant and mahout. Elephants become accustomed to their own mahouts, and will refuse to respond to a commands given by a different mahout. Mahouts make sure their elephants receive 250kg of plants and 300 litres of water each day.

The elephants train daily for 6 hours in the morning, ending at noon. They have days off on Buddhist holy days and a three month holiday in the dry season.

Acknowledge this source in your bibliography like this:
A Trip toThailand (2001). [Online], Available: www.kidcyber.com.au

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updated March 2001