Our elephant.

This is the elephant we rode on. Dad had seen other elephants take the tip money in their trunk and raise it up to give it to the mahout so he tried it and 'our' elephant did it too! It is fun to ride the elephants and all that but it makes me sad to see such a magnificent animal corralled, forced to do unnatural things, etc. Seems like all animals should do what nature intended them to do. I like the story of the elephants in Africa who are turned loose every night but return every morning of their own free will to take tourists for rides. The incentive for them is that they are given free food. But the elephants are really free to come and go as they please. Would love to go for a ride on those elephants.