This was a shot I took a few months ago when I visited for free the Mae Tang Elephant Park near Chiang Mai, North of Thailand.
It was part of an elephant show for tourists. Each mahout and his elephant were introduced to the public (they all have specific names) and then proceed in entertaining the public with football matches, painting or dancing.
I had mixed feelings about the way elephants were treated. It was purely a touristy place with shows, rides, ox carts and bamboo rafting.
It should be known that 95% of elephants in Thailand are used for entertainment purpose, sometimes in shady conditions.
Anyway, this shot reminded me of Dumbo following his mom. It was cute and sad at the same time.
This photo is so sweet and adorable! I love it!
Thanks sweetie!
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Lindsay Slack, Daniel Nahabedian. Daniel Nahabedian said: New #Photo: Dumbo the Elephant in Mae Tang Park in Thailand. Enjoy! http://bit.ly/hVO0Ye #travel #photography [...]
This one’s cute but kind of sad..:(
Went Elephant Riding when I first came to Chiang Mai. My elephant was being followed everywhere by her baby elephant. It was an ‘Awwwww’ moment. Felt sad the entire ride, though.
Thanks Cristine!
Yes it did look kind of sad. It’s fun to try it but then there’s this wrong feeling at the same time.
What a lovely moment captured beautifully! Nice shot!
Thank you very much!
i love this shot, it has so much personality!
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[...] A Mahout is that guy on top of the pachyderm. The person who trains and drives the elephant. [...]
I don’t know which is worse – the touristy shows with the elephants, or the mahouts that walk them around the bar areas of Bangkok, Pattaya, and Phuket. Supposedly illegal but I still see it – even in Khon Kaen.