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I had never encountered an elephant at close quarters
until my visit to an elephant relocation center. After
observing their behavior and how they interact with
their trainers and each other, I think their
intelligence is amazing. Elephants are highly
intelligent with relatively large, complex and
slow-maturing brains. They have reasoning capabilities,
can learn skills and have complex emotions experiencing
pain, suffering, sadness, depression and grief. They
love to wallow in mud and swish their bodies with grainy
sand. As their skin is sensitive to the sun, the mud and
sand form a sunscreen of sorts, protecting them from the
sun's harsh rays. In the cool, clear stream, the
elephants exhibit their playful nature spraying water
over unsuspecting visitors and lying on their side in
the stream. The Elephant Training Center in Kuala
Gandah, Pahang, is the headquarters for the Malaysian
Elephant Translocation Team set up in 1974. Wild
elephants are close to extinction in Malaysia and the
team has managed to increase the elephant's population
from 500 to 1200 in the past 20 years. In 25 years, they
have successfully relocated 400 elephants. At the
center, there are five elephants ranging in age from 6
to 50 years old. These 'inmates' are not show animals
but working elephants specially trained to assist in
translocation projects. The center only keeps and trains
female elephants as their temperament is more suitable
for translocation work.
In Malaysia, the elephant is a symbol of
conservation. Due to rampant development, Malaysian
virtually impossible for them to roam without
encroaching into plantations, estates and villages. In
this context, elephants are considered a nuisance. This
is where the translocation team comes in. The center is
often called to relocate elephants from unwelcome
territories to national parks. Wild elephants can be
dangerous if threatened. The center's elephants are
brought long to give moral support to wild ones who are
frightened, angry and confused at being captured and
chained. Two working elephants flank a single wild
elephant, touching it with their trunk, providing
comfort and calm in a slow and delicate process.
It may seem cruel to have the elephants in heavy
chains but a spokesman says that it is unavoidable. The
trip to the national parks may take hours and is very
stressful for the elephants. It is imperative that the
elephants are moved to their new home as soon as
possible as they may die out of despair and
hopelessness. Visitors are shown a National Geographic
documentary on how translocation is done. The center has
two teams with alternating roles. Each month, one team
does translocation work while the other remains at the
center to handle day-to-day affairs. The staff's
dedication is obvious. They are familiar with the
principles, mission statement and aspirations for the
center. The key word is 'conservation'.
But knowledge is crucial to creating awareness,
especially among the uneducated general public. Usually,
it is not elephants that trespass into human territory.
Rather, humans are the ones encroaching into elephant
territory. The center has noble goals but lacks ample
funds to realize its vision. The objective is clear but
the process is slow. We may all have to do what we can
to help. |
