Spontaneous mahout training
When we unzip our tent in the morning, Sri Nuan and Silver Flower are standing next to each other in the field in front of our camp. Grandpa Duang has already arrived to bring us drinking water and to teach the mahouts how to treat the wounds of the elephants. It is good he is around, cause he is a very experienced mahout and our mahouts, Narong and Wiseat can learn a lot from him. He has bought his first elephant twenty years ago, so he knows what to do, and he can learn our mahouts a lot of new things.
After Silver Flower has taken a bath, her wounds really show . The old mahout, learns the new young mahout, Wiseat how to treat the wound and disinfect it. When Mr. Duang steps off Sri Nuan, he helps Narong to step on. With Narong on her neck, Sri Nuan calmly walks back into the field. While we are all busy with Sri Nuan, Silver Flower also sneeks out into the field. First calmly so no one notices but then she starts running. Three mahouts start running behind her, while she rounds a bush. When she sees Narong standing in front of her, she calmly walks towards him. Narong greets her friendly, and she seems to calm down, we hope this will be the first step in bonding between the two of them. I think it’s a very good idea we have taken so much time for everybody to get used to each other, before starting our journey.
