Myanmar Elephants

They are used as long as people can remember, as work mate, for transportation and more.

But now they slowly are phased out for machinery, only in the very remote places and difficult terrains  they still work. But there is another use upcoming, as tourists attraction and the first are already underway among them at Alaungdaw Kathapa National Park north east of Monywa.

Elephant herd at Alaungdaw Kathapa National Park

There are two species one is the Asian elephants also known as Indian type and the others are African. Found in Myanmar, Thailand, India and some other countries on a smaller scale. They are a bit smaller than their African counterparts; they also have smaller ears which is the easiest way to tell the difference between both.

Myanmar Elephants ride

Height is up to 3 meters and weighs up to 5.5 tons, which makes it an impressive form of bones and muscles. Females of the African version have tusks Asian elephants usually not.

In the past migratory routes were seasonal in nature but this is changing because their living space is more limited within National Parks which are more or less fenced by populated areas, today the idea is more an elephant ride for the tourists.

Tourist elephant ride or "Hannibal ante portas"

These gigantic animals live for about 60 years when they are outdoor and 80 years when they are in zoos and environments. Females live in small groups led by the oldest, a herd is more or less a family and the “boss” is the oldest bull elephants. He usually roams around alone but conflicts over female during the mating season are rampant.

The boy and the beast

Elephant ride in Myanmar

Sine their living environment gets smaller every years there are continuous conflicts with people who encroach their habitat, Thailand is typical for that because Thai wont obey any rules and regulations. In the past they have been heavy used in the timber industry because of their strength and the tusks to carry the logs. Today this is mainly done with heavy machinery and they get pushed back continuously.

The beast in the water

Asian Elephants can get quite dangerous

The size makes them very powerful, they are somehow like tanks. Adult males can get very aggressive after going through puberty. In Thailand almost every year some tourists get killed because of that.

In Asia are four subgroups of the giants.

First in southern India and close to the Himalayas in the north plus the Sri Lankan version on the island. The Sumatran is rather small and at Borneo are the smallest. The Thai and Myanmar or Burmese and Cambodian elephant are a subversion of the Indian type. Before colonial times the Burmese made brisk trade with India be selling them bigger ones, they have been used in the endless wars on the subcontinent and many transport vessels sunk when the elephants were panicking during shipping.

This days it is becoming a tourist attraction because not much real work is left for them.

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Elephant ride