One of my intentions during our travels has been to attend to moments of awe. Those rare times where everything slows down for a minute and you feel something so special that you get a little teary-eyed. One of my memories of this at home was when a giant elephant costume, staffed by 5 actors, traveled through the audience at the Lion King musical. It shouldn't have surprised me that in seeing the real thing, I would be so awestruck.
The elephant rescue park has 126 elephants, all rescued from harsh conditions or after injuries, many from the circus or logging industry. The stories were quite hard to hear but the fact that this place provides a safe home ethically was really interesting to experience. One adult elephant broke an ankle when she was young as she played in a pile of logs while her mom hauled them for work. Another stepped on a land mine permanently injuring her left front leg and causing her to always be a bit off balance. For a while, the park attempted to rehabilitate and then return the elephants to their natural habitat after they healed, but they found there was little natural open space left and the elephants would often get picked up by logging companies so, for now, the rescued elephants will spend the rest of their lives at the park. A few were quite old, in their 90s with large indentions in their temples to show their age.
They live, amongst water buffalo and rescued dogs, in a large open space along the river. They are fed bananas, watermelon, and leafy branches many many times per day- really constantly. So much so that, if they approached you, your defense was to hold up your palms to show you had no food for them.
I can't describe how amazing it was to be up close and walk among them. Our guide knew each elephant by name. He described their histories and personalities - some liked to spend time alone, some were social butterflies. Some were loners until the right elephant joined the park, and then they traveled in their new chosen family.
The babies were the cutest. They were super playful, wanting to swing their trunks and kick their legs at you. Two babies got into an argument over a banana. Elephants - they are just like us!
They bathed in the river, enjoying a bucket splash. At one point a baby called for her mom, who came running to the river to comfort her.
At the end of the visit, the elephants made their way up the river. They moved so gracefully in all their power and strength.
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