Elephants
A little trouble in big China? (Our closest wild elephants)
By John Roberts 8 May 2008 02:16:00
I feel a trip coming on, my feet are itching, there's something happening close by that I think I should know more about - yes, there's a tonne of work to be done in camp and around the hotel but I'm also finding time to search through all my old newswire pieces - things that caught my eye.....
Where d'you want me to put 'em?
By John Roberts 7 May 2008 04:10:00
It is in the quiet times that you get to thinking isn't it? When the world's locked out and there isn't something to be done in half an hour three quarters of an hour's drive away, when you're driving Moskva back from town through the sunset, when it's.....
Sometimes it takes a VIP visit (learning more about the Galieng eles)
By John Roberts 6 May 2008 05:27:00
The other day, by one of the sheer coincidences that governs these things, the same day we were both featured in the Washington Post , Khun Lek and her team from the Elephant Nature Park found time to come and visit the Foundation and Anantara camps.
I've been.....
The wet season's upon us, time for some new foot wear (not quite wellies!)
By John Roberts 27 April 2008 06:38:00
...the sky has dropped 100 ml in two days; the floor outside my room is covered in disoriented ex-flying termites; the weather is cool, fresh and green; I have seen my first Blue Winged Pitta of the season.
All this can only mean one thing, I think I can.....
Cherry picking the best of the vets!
By John Roberts 27 April 2008 01:26:00
After a successful year feeling the bumps and bruises, the scrapes and scratches and inspecting the dung of our elephants; a year which saw him move from nervous newby to a point at which he is now often the only vet on site at the Thai Elephant Conservation Centre Hospital; a year when.....
Family Days at the Beach (Songkran again!)
By John Roberts 17 April 2008 01:44:00
Did I say, just a couple of blogs ago, that the last wild fling was over? Knowing Songkran was upcoming and knowing what I know of that time, did I really believe that life would return to normal?
Well, of course not, but I hope you noticed I did manage to get the.....
Who cares what the excuse is? (I love a good parade, me)
By John Roberts 11 April 2008 02:06:00
As these things often do it started out as a quiet request, the temple that had lent us the time-keeper's gong (I couldn't persuade the mahouts to dress up as the Rank gongster) for polo had had one of their monks promoted and were to hold a small ceremony to celebrate. Did we have a spare.....
The last wild fling is over (in the afterglow of polo)
By John Roberts 10 April 2008 01:31:00
There's a strange guilt like feeling around the place, in my bones and in the dusty air, a slight nag at the conscience as I sit here, drink coffee, and type - hard to put a finger on but, if we track it down, I think it is the lack of nagging need to finish this one job, get.....
The Wettest Rodeo (bathing the baby eles)
By John Roberts 23 March 2008 01:23:00
There is a lot going on outside camp nowadays, I seem to be spending most of my time behind the wheel of a car, to Chiang Rai twice to talk to land officers, to Chiang Mai to interview some frighteningly qualified and intelligent young ladies to help us through polo, to local villagers to find out.....
We need to be sure what we're breeding for...
By John Roberts 19 March 2008 03:37:00
I'll admit it, I have a problem of a sexual nature, well, more a reproductive dilemma I suppose. As you'd expect though, my furrowed brow is elephant related as I try to juggle my cold, hard, scientific, dogmatic background and the obvious happiness that greets every new elephant birth.
I.....
Elephant Camp Generations! (kids and eles, a winning photographic combination on National Elephant Day)
By John Roberts 14 March 2008 01:18:00
As more and more of the world are coming to realise, March 13th is Thailand's National Elephant Day - when we first celebrated it, back in the day, when we had four elephants, it was hardly even recognised in the local press.
Yesterday was our 4th Elephant Day here in camp,.....
Some men you just can't reach (our first full reversal)
By John Roberts 9 March 2008 13:41:00
Life and circumstance have pulled me away from my missive writing table for too long, two weeks gallivanting, an awards ceremony (we won - by the way) and then back to the grindstone, sparks flying.
So, how to catch up with those of you who follow this? Well, honestly.....
Call me old fashioned....
By John Roberts 16 February 2008 00:43:00
Here in Thailand certain local politicians made the news on St Valentine's night for ordering special squads of motel Police to patrol known love nests in order to protect Thai youth from themselves; They are worried that the nasty propaganda of pink cards.....
On the loose in Laos? Why not go to ele-land?
By John Roberts 12 February 2008 02:30:00
Being the jealous sort and knowing the fun involved I ought not be telling you this lest I get bitter at the stories of your ele time; but since the reason I cannot go is that I'm about to jet off for a holiday myself - non-ele based - then I can hardly hold a grudge.
Last.....
What is that thing? ...what does it eat? ...and is it on steroids?
By John Roberts 11 February 2008 01:17:00
Another one for our entomologist friends, this thing landed on my car yesterday - almost broke the suspension.
...funny sticky feet and forward looking eyes it turned to look at me as I approached, I threw a bottle in for some perspective (and to see if I could goad it into.....
A good month for the birders....
By John Roberts 7 February 2008 01:08:00
What's happening here?
I heard my first night jar calling in the cool, dry morning a couple of weeks ago, forgot to tell you; the egrets have been here for months - have I mentioned them yet?; I saw some Rosy Minivets on the drive, they didn't even get a note in.....
Long distance ele-communication is getting ridiculous...
By John Roberts 6 February 2008 03:14:00
It is a well documented fact that eles use several different means and methods to communicate over long distances and that in the wild, even when out of sight of one another, elephants are constantly chatting; even when apart an ele is never alone.
Recently a group of.....
One needs to read all the Malaysian celestial bodies for the full picture!
By John Roberts 3 February 2008 00:59:00
I am going to ask you to pardon me an indulgence on the first morning that a seasonal sun has managed to peak above the hills after three days of unseasonal very British rain.
Rain which on the one hand will make the fresh grass grow and give my girls and.....
Fierce elephants? Give 'em a chance.
By John Roberts 30 January 2008 02:38:00
...I'm sure many of you saw this article when it first appeared in the New York Times , it was, according to the web, syndicated in the Scotsman and (twice) in the Malaysia Sun - it also generated a photograph in the International Herald Tribune as well as spawning multitudinous blogs.....
Are there any Crazy Journeys left? (jealousy from a static elephant boy)
By John Roberts 26 January 2008 02:14:00
Despite being a determined and card carrying, in bed by eight, up with the night-jar type of old codger; despite bemoaning the loss of values one day and my neighbours' adherence to habituated traditions the next, you'll be surprised to learn that I still carry the dreams of my.....
