A night with Boon Rod - the tale of a street elephant

"By Lek Chailert" Aug 05

A 1989 government ban on tree felling immediately made hundreds of working elephants redundant overnight. Opportunistic owners looked elsewhere for money making possibilities. They took to the streets using their elephants to beg money from amused visitors. Over the years the number of street elephants swelled and they can now be found in most major cities throughout the country. This practice is illegal and there are periodic crack-downs but, as soon as press attention withers, they are back on the streets again. A never ending spiral of misery for the elephants. The sharp end of a hook cracks at her head; the punishment for upsetting the restaurant owners. The day that Boon Rod left our park, I can feel her anger, fear and confusion. She could not control herself and peed uncontrollably. I looked into her terrified eyes as she begged me to help. Both eyes were full of tears. This motivated me to do what I could to offer her freedom. It was not possible to buy her at this stage so I went to see her at night. I needed to find out what actually happens while she walks the night streets. I wanted to know what the six year old's life entailed.

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I found out where she stays, what time she start to walk and where she goes. I followed her trails observing her troubled twilight life. Boon Rod starts her walk around 3 pm. On her back heavy bags of banana and sugar cane are hoisted. Her mahout sells these to people in restaurants and bars to feed Boon Rod. The mahout will choose only busy streets with shopping centers. pubs, bars, and restaurants.

Between 3-5 pm the sun is scorching and the heat makes Boon Rod thirsty and hot. She walk past restaurants that display fish tanks for diners to choose from. A thirsty Boon Rod plunges her trunk in to soak up the water to drink and spay to herself. This upsets the restaurant owners and they have to run away. People from the restaurant throw things at them as they flee. After running for a while the mahout struck her aggressively. The sharp end of a hook cracks at her head; the punishment for upsetting the restaurant owners. They are unable to beg from there now and must move on to a busy market. While they walking Boon Rod is forced to perform many tricks. She has to stand up on her hind legs, salute, and trumpet to diners that her mahout hopes will be appreciate enough to offer rewards and tips. Hopefully some will buy a bunches of bananas from his stash.

Sometimes when she stops people are angry that her mahout takes her in the street at night. They refuse to buy bananas, shout and chase them away. Dutifully an uncomprehending Boon Rod trundles away. Her human companions direct her to the next location. They hope there will be richer pickings there.

Half way through the first day I have followed her route carefully walking about 10 meters behind. Later the mahouts recognize me and they stop to ask why I am following them. I told them that I want to find out the reality of life of elephants and mahouts working the street. I told them that I have a food for their elephants which is in my car. I have transported it from the park and call them to bring the food for their elephant. I offer the mahouts dinner as well and they accept. As we have dinner Boon Rod can also stop for a big meal that I have prepared for her

They continue into the night and walk thru a bar beer center. It is around the time of evening that drink takes its toll as people slide into drunkenness. Every night, when Boonrod walks in front of bar, a man will come out to pull her tail. They stroke her nipples as they laugh and yell at her in their drunken bravado. Boonrod clearly does not like this at all, who would? She shakes an angry head and tries to kick the person provoking her. I ask the mahout why doesn’t he do something. to stop people abusing her. He told me it is a daily occurrence and that "it is the way of some people". It is not in his interest to alienate his target audience.

He then tells me a few stories. One night Boon Rod walked into an open fronted restaurant. They pass a dinner table and Boon Rod stretches her her trunk over the table to smell the food. The angered diner, eating at the table, threw hot coffee in her face. Another night a drunk man walks behind her and pulls her tail. She swung her trunk at the annoying man who then gets very angry. He grabbed a piece of wood and whacked her violently with the plank. Some bar customers force beer down her trunk laughing and insulting her mahout as they enjoy their self-made entertainment. Every night the mahout is threatened by people they meet on the street. As they can make money they think it better to keep quiet. Not one of them wishes to defend Boon Rod against such abuse as they don’t want problems with their possible customers. Boon Rod is a commodity, after all. A tool for their well-being. I walk with her for four nights. On the firth night she is not there. I am very worried about her. It seems the streets are too silent now. I never like to see elephants on the street but, that night, I feel so strange when I don’t know where she is. I drive to look for her at the place where she stays when resting. No luck, the mahouts have all moved out. Later the next morning I found out that Boon Rod has been hit by a car. The accident happened at 01.00 am on the morning I left her.

More updates over the next few days