This shot was taken using a NIKON D5000 at ISO 200, f/4.5, for 1/350sec
Just Being an Elephant
This girl is one of about 31 other females that we got to see during a visit to the Elephant Nature Park outside of Chiang Mai, Thailand. During the day, one of these elephants will eat anywhere between 300 – 600 pounds of food, which mainly consist of watermelons, bananas, and pumpkins.
When they are not eating, you can find most of them huddled together in small groups of about 4-6. Most are not related, but they will protect each other as if they are a strong family. If there is a baby around, and something just doesn’t feel right to the herd, they will quickly create a circle protecting the youngest.
During our visit to the ENP, we fed the elephants, gave them baths, watched them eat as a herd, took a tour of the park, fed them some more, and just stood back and watched them interact with each other. But the best part of the visit were moments like the one captured here. Just watching these girls be themselves. Not having to be some carnival ride, or some sort of circus talent, but just walking up to a tree, using her trunk to grab a bite to eat, and mosey on to hang out with her friends. You know, just being an elephant!