THE ROYAL ELEPHANT KRAAL, AYUTTHAYA, THAILAND

The Royal Elephant Kraal in Ayutthaya is home to approximately 90 elephants. One of the unique aspects of situating the elephants at the world heritage listed Royal Elephant Kraal is the link to history.

For hundred of years the Kings of Thailand would attend the Royal Elephant Round-up and choose the elephants that would work and live alongside the Thai people and help build Thailand into the country it is today.

Today the Royal Elephant Kraal re-lives these centuries old traditions through re enactments and the observation of age-old customs and ceremonies. The training techniques adopted at the Kraal are a marriage of traditional and modern methods.

Laithongrien Meepan has studied historical texts written by the Kings of Thailand about elephants. Reviving these rich traditions raises the status of the mahout (owner) and elephant.

It is a unique demonstration of the skills of the mahouts.

I have "stolen" this information from Ewa Narkiewicz. You will find her and Michelle Reedy on www.elephantstay.com

Look also at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TtJbtFUSqo8 to see pictures from a normal day at the Kraal. Look out for some cute babies. There are 5 of them less than a year old !