Japanese woman wants to become elephant trainer

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http://japantoday.com/e/?content=feature & id=358

 

Japanese woman wants to become elephant trainer

 

Hiroshi Tanabe

 

AYUTTHAYA, Thailand — Akiko Endo is learning how to

train elephants in this old Thai capital to become the

first Japanese female driver of the giant creature.

 

Endo, 22, took a break from her job as a swimming

coach in her hometown of Okegawa, Saitama Prefecture,

in October last year and came to Ayutthaya during a

tour of Thailand. She rode an elephant and was

captivated by it.

 

The first elephant ride in her life spoiled her plans

to be away from Japan for only two to three months.

She returned to see the jumbo animals at the " Home of

Elephants in Ayutthaya " every day for a week.

 

" I had always liked elephants but became attracted by

their charm, " she said. " They are sensitive and

clever. They read a person's thoughts. No matter how

well you ride them, they will not adapt themselves to

you unless you really love them. "

 

The owner Sompon approached her and asked, " Do you

want to study the elephants if you like them so much? "

She agreed and has been staying there ever since.

 

Now, she wears a gold-trimmed red elephant trainer's

uniform with her sun-tanned face reflecting on it. She

keeps herself fashionable painting her fingernails

silver.

 

The Ayutthaya elephants home raises about 60

elephants. Some of them take part in shows and carry

tourists on their backs and walk the streets of

Ayutthaya, the former capital which thrived for more

than 400 years until the 18th century and still

retains the former splendor of the old Thai monarchy.

 

Endo gets up at 6 a.m. to engage in her daily routine

of cleaning the excrement from four-month-old male

elephant Nopakao and his mother, feeding them

pineapple leaves and taking them bathing.

 

She lives in a bamboo hut with other female staff

members. The living standards are not as high as those

in Japan, but she said " It's not hard at all. I just

cannot help but enjoy living here every day. "

 

She helped tourists ride Nopakao's mother until he was

born. She smiled wryly when she said, " Some Japanese

(tourists) told me, 'you speak Japanese very well'. "

 

Endo rides only female elephants because the males

have violent tempers. She said a month's training

enables a novice to handle an elephant by giving the

back of its ear a kick to " move forward " or " turn

around. "

 

Thais consider elephants to be god's messengers but

they are endangered. The number of elephants has been

declining every year to about less than 3,000 at

present due primarily to reckless deforestation.

 

Some elephants are seen begging with their trainers in

Bangkok. Ayutthaya's citizens are also critical of the

elephants because they cause traffic jams and deposit

waste.

 

Endo said she " once felt sorry for the elephants to be

utilized for public showing. But they no longer become

wild elephants again. I think they are happy as long

as they are here. "

 

" I don't know when I'll return to Japan, " she

continued. " Even if I go back to Japan, I'd like to

engage in work that will help Japanese understand

elephants. I read books to study elephants. "

 

She looked at Nopakao taking a nap and smiled with

pleasure. (Kyodo News)

 

November 28, 2002

 

 

 

 

 

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