It is time to visit elephants again!

I think I've found my next exotic travel destination - The Thai Elephant Conservation Center in Hang Chat, Thailand.





With my visit to the Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage near Colombo, Sri Lanka in 1995, I developed an appreciation for these majestic beasts and their mahouts.  (Mahouts are boys who take up the  'family profession' when he is assigned an elephant early in its life. They remain bonded to each other throughout their lives.)

 Many of the baby and young elephants I "met" during my visit to Pinnawala were just getting to know their mahouts.  I wonder where these "friends" are now?

Recently I came across a YouTube video of the Thai Elephant Orchestra, a group of 14 elephants from the Thai Elephant Conservation Center performing with young human musicians.  Quite amazing.


If you'd like to learn more about these talented animals, their mahouts, and the musicians involved in creating and writing for this orchestra, visit http://www.thailandelephant.org/en/orchestra.html