Visit to Elephant Sanctuary

  Due to poaching and loss of habitat, wild elephants that live in the jungles of Malaysia are growing increasingly endangered.  Elephants are commonly hunted for their leather hides, while their prized ivory tusks are extensively used in jewellery. As a result, it is becoming harder and harder for us urban-dwellers to observe these fascinating creatures. Fortunately, the National Elephant Conservation Centre in Kuala Gandah, Pahang, currently cares for a number of elephants rescued from the wild by brave volunteers at the sanctuary over the last 30 years. It is one of the most popular elephant sanctuaries in Malaysia and truly the perfect place for seeing and interacting with these elephants up close.

Taylor kids visit elephants.

  On the 3rd of May, around forty teachers and students took to the National Elephant Conservation Centre as part of a SAM CCA Biology Trip. The bus from TCSH arrived at the sanctuary at 9.30 am in the morning after the one-and-a-half-hour journey, surrounded by miles of relaxing greenery. Once there, we met our firm but enthusiastic tour guide, Encik Razali, who not only brought us around the sanctuary but imparted much of his vast knowledge on elephant conservation in Malaysia to us. He made it clear from the start that we should have respect for these lovely animals in order to gain as much as possible from the trip – a lesson we bore in mind for the rest of the day. Then, we went to see the elephants; five of them paced idly within their partitions as tourists fed them sticks of sugar cane. We soon joined the tourists in feeding them. 

Lady with a hat: "Agh. How terrifying." 

  Despite their relaxed stance, the elephants had a dignified aura about them that commanded nothing less than our reverence as their versatile trunks coiled around the sugar canes on our extended palms – sometimes taking two to three sticks at a time. In addition, we enjoyed a show where four volunteers from the sanctuary rode elephants into a central pen and each elephant exhibited their intelligence by performing tricks. One of them was tailless as it was the only elephant known to have survived a tiger attack in the wild. Contrary to their gentle reputation, elephants are powerful animals who can cause a lot of damage. Encik Razali reminded us of the tremendous life-threatening danger and courage of the volunteers who venture into the jungle to rescue wild elephants. A single kick from their powerful legs would break your ribs and send you flying; the sheer weight of their bodies would crush almost anything with the force of their legs. Needless to say, we had great admiration for the volunteers at the sanctuary after that.

Now they dominate the beasts.

  We had a delicious lunch later that afternoon prepared by the Women’s Association. It was a great time to rest and chat after a tiring morning. Our tour guide continued to relate many intriguing tales to us - mostly from his own experience as a volunteer at the sanctuary. We learnt about how wild elephants take years to placate in this sanctuary as it is not the “Malaysian way” to use cruel methods to tame wild elephants, and elephants eventually become less hostile to humans once mutual respect is established. Moreover, we were told about how wild elephants are brought to the sanctuary, cared for, and relocated or returned to the wild. One touching tale was about an elephant who was returned to the wild, only to remember his “sanctuary name” years later.

If only he would kick forward at full force. (Note: Unidentified device on floor)

  Of course, it wasn’t all fun and games – we had to do our fair share of work as well. Some of us disposed of elephant excrement while others cut sugar canes; we hauled heavy bundles of grass (that itched and irritated our skin) to their paddocks and cut and washed a wheelbarrow of papayas to feed the elephants. All the while, the sweltering sun shone above us and the air was teeming with harmless honeybees – two trying conditions for city kids. However, it wasn’t all physical work as we learnt many new things in the process. Did you know that elephant manure has no smell? This is because most of their diet consists of cellulose which remains undigested due to the lack of the cellulase enzyme in elephants thus, the odour from sulphur compounds produced by bacteria in the gut upon digestion is not present.

"My poop smells better than yours."

  By the time we had to depart from the sanctuary, we were exhausted but truly satisfied with how we had spent the day. It was hard to leave the lovely elephants we had somehow grown fond of; the way they took slow, deliberate steps and adeptly curled their trunks around anything and everything and the way their brown eyes gazed at you thoughtfully. There was one experience that stood out to me during our encounter with the elephants. As part of a demonstration, our tour guide had beckoned to an orphaned baby elephant, who twirled its trunk around his arm and tenderly sucked on his thumb until it almost fell asleep; while he stroked its trunk with the other hand and sung soothing lullabies to it. It was heart-wrenching to think that these amazing animals couldn’t live completely free in the wild because of the actions of men – and that other men, like our tour guide, had to spend immeasurable time and resources to care for them as volunteers (putting affections for elephants aside of course) while having to balance it with their career. It was a sad realisation which sparked deep reflection within the members of our group. All in all, we left the elephant sanctuary as nourished souls with ample food for thought; we had a new store of wonderful memories with our friends whom we had bonded more closely to – and the elephants we had developed a greater appreciation for. A big thank you to the students and teachers who took the time to share this experience with us!

The joys of parenthood

Note: It is extremely expensive to care for elephants because they need regular medical attention and large, sturdy paddocks to live in; not to mention the food costs and the general expenses. The sanctuary does not earn profit and is not funded by the government; it relies mostly on volunteers as well as supplies. So if you are touched by this story – and I hope you are – please visit the website below to learn more about how you can contribute to their noble cause.
 
http://www.wonderfulmalaysia.com/kuala-gandah-elephant-sanctuary.htm

Donate today!

Written by Jamie Liew
South Australian Matriculation