What do you think this is, a holiday camp? (the little ele's keep fit classes)
Well, we love the rainy season up here in the Golden Triangle, everything is always so green and fresh, the skies are either clear blue or dramatic storms sweeping up and down the big river. The one major drawback is that we can't get out onto our lovely big patches of grassland, they're fish territory now.
So, almost ever since they got here Little Lynchee and her mother (now known as Poon Larb - which means that which makes luck grow - the name confusion is outlined in my "elephant's name" missive) have been tucked up in camp or living on the hillsides close by.
After three months of semi-confinement Lynchee's latest trick is to stick her trunk in her mouth and blow raspberries - time for a change of scene, no daughter of mine will take such delight in such noises!
The adult eles are fine as they get daily exercise, the other babies can be controlled enough to take them where there may be cars so they get two hour walks every morning along the bottom track. But until now Lynchee has just been too small and too maverick - not one to listen to commands our little ele, nor should she at that age - to take outside a an atmosphere we can control.
That said, a couple of days ago, it was decided we needed to get her ready for the big world (well the Anantara forest part of it anway), Mum is now quite fat, not the skinny, milkless thing she was when she arrived so a walk would do them both good.
It was only a short walk around the nursery, we stopped the traffic on the drive for her regal presence to move to the lychee orchard for a small play, slippery lawn grass is the fun novelty, and then back to camp.
We got back in to jealous rumbles from Tawan and Nong Pleum, whose 'Dad' K. Lord came with us as director of operations, before Lynchee ran to the slalom course - taking great care to knock every single pole over with her trunk - and then back to big sister Nong Dah, who seems to have found her role in life with Lynchee. The story's told in pictures below...
..."ah ha, the nursery, that looks tasty"...
..."mine, you can't have it, it's mine"....
...."let me tell you about my big adventure!"
So, almost ever since they got here Little Lynchee and her mother (now known as Poon Larb - which means that which makes luck grow - the name confusion is outlined in my "elephant's name" missive) have been tucked up in camp or living on the hillsides close by.
After three months of semi-confinement Lynchee's latest trick is to stick her trunk in her mouth and blow raspberries - time for a change of scene, no daughter of mine will take such delight in such noises!
The adult eles are fine as they get daily exercise, the other babies can be controlled enough to take them where there may be cars so they get two hour walks every morning along the bottom track. But until now Lynchee has just been too small and too maverick - not one to listen to commands our little ele, nor should she at that age - to take outside a an atmosphere we can control.
That said, a couple of days ago, it was decided we needed to get her ready for the big world (well the Anantara forest part of it anway), Mum is now quite fat, not the skinny, milkless thing she was when she arrived so a walk would do them both good.
It was only a short walk around the nursery, we stopped the traffic on the drive for her regal presence to move to the lychee orchard for a small play, slippery lawn grass is the fun novelty, and then back to camp.
We got back in to jealous rumbles from Tawan and Nong Pleum, whose 'Dad' K. Lord came with us as director of operations, before Lynchee ran to the slalom course - taking great care to knock every single pole over with her trunk - and then back to big sister Nong Dah, who seems to have found her role in life with Lynchee. The story's told in pictures below...
..."ah ha, the nursery, that looks tasty"...
..."mine, you can't have it, it's mine"....
...."let me tell you about my big adventure!"
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