The story of Boon Rod the Elephant

As the sun goes down, wild elephants track each other down, find something to eat, enjoy each others' company and rest together. For Boon Rod this is the beginning of a miserable day. When the night falls, her workday starts. Every evening at 18:00 hours her mahout picks her up from the waste, where she stays during the day and takes her out to the busy nightlife of Chiang Mai in Northern Thailand. She begs until all pubs and discos close the doors, which often takes until 5:00 AM. Boon Rod is from Northeast Thailand. Her mahout makes her beg in cities since she was a young elephant. Boon Rod is now 6 years old and her fate already seems to be the same of all other street elephants in Thailand. Boon Rod never had the chance to live a different kind of life. Her mahout rents her from her owner and takes her into the night to earn a fast living. A live magnet for tourists.

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the Elephant magazine is published by:
Friends of the Elephant Foundation.

PO Box 220,
6800AE Arnhem,
the Netherlands.
www.elephantfriends.org

Editorial staff:
Rob Faber
(managing editor)
Willie Tieman
(assistant managing editor)
Elizabeth Pickersgill
(editor)
Ester Kerkhoff
(editor Kids' pages)

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