a special encounter

A special encounter

Earlier today we had the pleasure of being able to touch real life Sumatran elephants. It’s definitely been one of the highlights of our trip so far and being so close to these magnificent animals was absolutely incredible.

I had an extra special encounter; while everyone else was reaching through steel bars to touch the elephants in an enclosure, I approached a handler and his elephant, Mary. The handler and Mary were outside the enclosure just a small distance away waiting to start an elephant ride. With no bars in my way, I stood on a mound of earth and was almost eye-height with Mary. As I reached out with my hand, she wrapped her trunk around my wrist (apparently that means she likes me) leaving it all slobbery and covered in dirt.

We also got to meet two baby elephants, one of which was just 12 days old. These little guys had so much character and it was hilarious watching them stumble around the enclosure finding their feet.

Seeing these animals in real life was incredible. Being so close and actually touching them was something else all together. What struck me most was how much character and intelligence the elephants have. It’s something you don’t get from a picture or watching them on a screen. In real life, you can really appreciate the magnificence of these living creatures and meeting the elephants today was an encounter I won’t forget.

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