Running Duck Studio in Thailand June 2023
Feeling the heart and soul of illustration subjects can be a powerful tool.
I illustrate the special moments in life, and my recent trip to Thailand was full of such moments. You can’t help but be taken in by the locals’ smiles and enthusiasm and the countryside’s magic.
Having drawn many elephants over the years, it was overwhelming to experience their grandness, majestic presence, or gentle nature in person. So close, to touch, to smell… so quiet. Bust so moving. So close you could tell the joy in the youngest teen elephant as it openly enjoyed human contact. The one who was not entirely happy and tuned its back to be comforted by our guides and his mahout. Most stood quite happily eating what we fed them. Enduring humans in an almost understanding nature
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In the back distant corner stood a large aging elephant at peace, but with sorrow in its deep-set eyes. Rescued but still not over the harshness of its previous treatment at the hands of humans. He stood, silently and watched
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The Mahout
Mahouts are predominantly men from Indigenous tribes such as the Karen, Lao-Isan and Guay, with strong ancestral traditions involving elephants that span hundreds of years.
For Indigenous mahouts, elephant keeping has traditionally been a sacred undertaking, with elephants and forests playing a central role in spiritual beliefs and cultural activities. For centuries, these mahouts were respected as highly skilled men whose occupations made them crucial to Thailand’s civilisation. They worked with elephants in wartime and nation-building activities such as agriculture and construction work or prepared elephants for these roles. In many ways, elephants in Thailand played a similar role to horses and oxen in Western countries. Nikki Savvides
At the Green Elephant Sanctuary, it was important that the Mahouts came with the rescue elephants. And they continue to care for them in a more nurturing environment, living on-site with their families as well. Even their guides have a strong bond with these animals.
“We have constructed the park as close to nature as possible. In the construction process, we gave top priority to our elephants living a peaceful life without any pressure. Our standards are oriented to the European animal protection laws – without chains or the cruel elephant goad. We want to present elephants in the most natural way to our visitors so that their visit becomes an unforgettable experience. In the near future, our park is expected to enlarge steadily to provide even more elephants with a peaceful and species-appropriate life.” Green Elephant Sanctuary
We fed, mudded, washed, and showered with the elephants but it wasn’t until we were told of the plight of little Aoung Pao till I really felt
Unfortunately, I never got to meet Aoung Pao. This gorgeous baby become infected with the deadly Elephant Herpal Virus and passed away 10am 15th May 2023. There was nothing that could be done
As the caretaker told of this sad loss, their sorrow could be clearly scene and felt, and was amplified by the mother in the distant background. Should stood quiet with her back to us comforted by her mahout. Not ready to face us.
Then as I watched one of our tourists leave the group, I was perplexed. As he moved towards the mother, I became so aware of our ignorance. I don’t know if it was a translation issue or just pure arrogance. But this man proceeded to approach the heart-stricken mother, even having just been told that she was not ready for human contact. At that moment, I realised we really have a long way to go with even the simplest of respect for animals.
The trip left a lasting impression, highlighting the beauty and complexity of elephants and the challenges they face in the hands of humans.
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