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 boys unexpected fresh fodder, gave them mud to play in and raised the river again into major splashing territory...

 

   ...on the other hand three days of grey seemed only fit for the sort of financial and inter-departmental argument that made England great and me depressed, the mahouts' solar heated showers didn't function making them cheerfully smelly and homesick for sweltering Surin and Nam Chok got carried away with her tyre, slipped in the mud and gave herself a nasty sprain - something all six year old's should learn I feel, play is for learning your boundaries, but K. Pom and K. Varunee are not so convinced.

    In short, I know there are bonuses in the long run but the rain brought me nothing but headaches so it is great to see the sun on a Sunday morning, switch on the computer and see some nice words written about our work.  Where the last blog gently chided the Malaysian Sun for printing only the down side to the street ele situation, we see that the Malaysia Star is printing our brand of the solution (in two separate pieces, one more hotel based so not repeated here), one waits to see what a Malaysian Moon will bring...

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All-encompassing conservation

The Four Seasons Tented Camp Golden Triangle and the Golden Triangle Asian Elephant Foundation recognise that in rescuing street elephants, it is important to take the mahouts off the streets as well.

John Roberts believes that in order to help the domesticated elephants, the mahouts must be helped as well.

"Until there's another alternative provided, people still have to go to the cities," said John Roberts, the foundation's elephant director.

"If all your village has ever done is raise elephants and produce mahouts, that's all you want to do. OK, people can be re-educated, but that's not the point. They're going to keep raising elephants because that's all they know.

"And if there's no other way to earn money but to go on the streets, they are going to go," Roberts said of the current elephant situation in Thailand.

"If we buy an elephant, the mahout might take the money to buy another elephant, so our plan is to rent the elephant from the mahout so he still owns that elephant but he's paid to come here and live with us.

"Our job is to make sure that life is good enough for his elephant and also for him and his family. So technically, the mahouts still care for their elephants with the help of the foundation," said Roberts.

Roberts hopes that the Four Seasons Tented Camp Golden Triangle's elephant programme can help to increase awareness and "spark the love" for Asian elephants.

"I know how strong they are; that they have to concentrate not to hurt us and they do. She can lay her trunk on you, sniff you and grab your arm. She knows that you are fragile, and a stranger. She has no reason to care for you but she doesn't break you or hurt you. Why?

"Because they are nice, very intelligent, and they have respect for other creatures and humans. There's a thought process that goes on in there not to hurt you. That shows an intelligence that I think no other creature has, really. I can't understand why but it's quite nice and I like that," Roberts said. - By LIM CHEE WAH

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