Tag Archives: elephants

The Mahout

A mahout is the person who cares for and trains an elephant. The word comes from a Sanskrit word — mahamatra — meaning “one having great measure”. Elephant handlers are also called cornac or kornak, from the Singhalese word kurawanayaka — meaning “stable master”. The mahout is assisted in elephant care by a grass cutter and occasionally a waged assistant. The grass cutter is often responsible for feeding, bathing, and grooming the elephant — all of the care with none of the training. Often, working as a mahout is a family business. A child around the age of ten is … Continue reading →

More Ele-Facts

Elephants are fascinating animals! From physiology to psychology, these giants are full of surprises. Here are some more facts about Asian elephants. Elephants can hear infrasonic sound — sound below the human audible range — and ultrasonic sound — sound above the human audible range. Studies have shown that they can hear thunder several miles away. Elephants have great hearing and a great sense of smell but see relatively poorly. They can recognize people by smell, even after years apart. Fanning their ears helps elephants cool their bodies. The blood cycles through the ear to help regulate body temperature — … Continue reading →

Ele-Facts

I had an interest in elephants sparked by a conversation today about mahouts — elephant handlers in India. An acquaintance who has traveled far and wide was describing the relationship between elephant and handler, a life-long bond that sounds a lot like a marriage or other partnership. I’ll definitely be writing about mahouts in the near future! But for now, I wanted to share some interesting ele-facts about Asian elephants. The elephant is one of a few animals that use tools. Elephants use sticks to scratch themselves and can learn to use a variety of objects for a variety of … Continue reading →

Elephants and Chili Peppers

Misbehaving elephants in northeastern India are leaving their habitats and wreaking havoc. Wandering elephants have destroyed homes, decimated crops, and trampled people. Wildlife experts are trying a somewhat unconventional method to keep elephants away from villages near the elephant habitats: the world’s hottest chili. Fences around villages and fields are smeared with automobile grease and bhut jolokia, the ghost chili. According to the Guinness Book of World Records, the ghost chili is the world’s hottest chili pepper. Conservationists have also used chili smoke bombs to keep the elephants away from residential and growing areas. Dried chili and straw lit on … Continue reading →

Celebrity Animal Attraction

It’s the awards show my 3-year-old dog-loving daughter would love front row tickets to–the Fido Awards. Britain’s first-ever awards to honor canine cinematic excellence were handed out Sunday and caused quite a scene at London’s South Bank arts center. The show, billed as the world’s first-ever international awards ceremony for canine screen stars, was packed with howling performances by four-legged stars. But, at the end of the night only a handful of pooches walked away with the award for “top dog.” And the winners were… Drum roll please… The tail-wagging stars from the Oscar-winning film “The Queen.” Poppy, Anna, Alice, … Continue reading →

Appreciating Elephants

Happy Elephant Appreciation Day! This was perhaps the easiest of celebration days for me to find out about. History Mission Media, Inc. declared September 22nd Elephant Appreciation Day in 1996. The company is a digital and print publisher of graphics, but it’s owned by the Hepburn Family. (Maybe a relation of Katherine and Audrey Hepburn?) Wayne Hepburn, Mission Media’s publisher and president, started the day because the elephant: • is the largest living land mammal • has a unique nose –it’s trunk! • is noble • is an endangered species • has helped man in various ways throughout the ages … Continue reading →

Larger Than Life (1996)

In “Larger Than Life,” Bill Murray stars as Jack Corcoran, a motivational speaker who has carved his career out of the rock. He believes that his father died before he was born, so imagine his surprise when he gets a telegram stating that his father has just passed away, and he needs to come collect his inheritance. But imagine his even further surprise when he finds that this inheritance consists of a large trunk, some floppy shoes, a red nose, and an elephant. That’s right – his father was a clown, literally. Jack is legally obligated to take the elephant … Continue reading →

The Elephant Sanctuary

My husband and I are members of a group called Team Green. They’re an adventure club sponsored by one of the local radio stations. Each month they organize a variety of activities for members, many of which are also open to the public. I was scanning the list of events for this month when one in particular really caught my eye: volunteer day at the Elephant Sanctuary on May 19th. An elephant sanctuary? In Tennessee? I never knew! Not too many months back I watched a piece on CBS’s 60 Minutes about a woman in Africa who runs a sanctuary … Continue reading →

A Far Off Place (1993)

“A Far Off Place” features Reese Witherspoon, already a very mature and well-grounded actress at the age of 17. She easily carries this film over some potentially rough spots in plot and script. Her character is Nonnie Parker, born and raised in Africa on the edge of the Kalahari Desert. Her father has been working for some time to help bring an end to the poaching activities taking place in the area. Elephants are being slaughtered right and left, their tusks being chopped off and stolen. Colonel Mopani Theron has been tracking these men down and giving them as good … Continue reading →