Pardeep
๑۩۩๑┼●ℛŐŶ
As the country's national symbol, you would expect the people of Thailand to show nothing but respect for their elephants.
But the once-majestic beasts are clearly still viewed by some as mere circus performers.
In this case, they have been trained to ride tricycles - and steer using their trunks.
Pedal power: It takes trainers at Nong Nooch Gardens, near Pattaya in Thailand up to six months to teach elephants to cycle - and, not surprisingly, some are unable to master it
Unnatural habitat: The extra large tricycles are constructed out of converted tuk-tuks
Kwanmueng, seven, and Sarai, nine, have been taught how to use custom-made tricycles at Nong Nooch Gardens, near Pattaya.
And another elephant - eight-year-old Tabtim - is now able to knock down pins in a specially built ten-pin bowling alley.
Zookeepers said the animals are given a lesson a day for up to six months before they are able to master the pedals and handlebars to ride for themselves.
Assistant manager Adul Chaiparb said: 'It takes around six months for us to teach an elephant to ride a bike, giving them one lesson a day.
'After that, even if they don't cycle for a long time, as soon as they get back on, they can remember.
'Not all of our elephants are able to learn, but we give them all a chance and see which ones have the ability.
Kwanmueng, seven, makes his way round the arena
'Some of the elephants are so fast at cycling that maybe we should enter them in a cycle race.'
The huge tricycles are made from converted tuk-tuks - or rickshaws.
They have to be helped into place with their feet on the pedals before they can make their way off around the arena.
The park has 42 elephants - and the others have been trained to play football, basketball and to dance.
Tourist Helmut Scheithauer, from Frankfurt, Germany, said: 'The elephants are very smart, I didn't know they could learn so many things. They're really fast at cycling, like professional cyclists.'
Just don't expect to see similar antics at London Zoo any time soon...
Strike? Tabtim, eight, has been taught ten pin bowling while other elephants can dance and play football
But the once-majestic beasts are clearly still viewed by some as mere circus performers.
In this case, they have been trained to ride tricycles - and steer using their trunks.
Kwanmueng, seven, and Sarai, nine, have been taught how to use custom-made tricycles at Nong Nooch Gardens, near Pattaya.
And another elephant - eight-year-old Tabtim - is now able to knock down pins in a specially built ten-pin bowling alley.
Zookeepers said the animals are given a lesson a day for up to six months before they are able to master the pedals and handlebars to ride for themselves.
Assistant manager Adul Chaiparb said: 'It takes around six months for us to teach an elephant to ride a bike, giving them one lesson a day.
'After that, even if they don't cycle for a long time, as soon as they get back on, they can remember.
'Not all of our elephants are able to learn, but we give them all a chance and see which ones have the ability.
'Some of the elephants are so fast at cycling that maybe we should enter them in a cycle race.'
The huge tricycles are made from converted tuk-tuks - or rickshaws.
They have to be helped into place with their feet on the pedals before they can make their way off around the arena.
The park has 42 elephants - and the others have been trained to play football, basketball and to dance.
Tourist Helmut Scheithauer, from Frankfurt, Germany, said: 'The elephants are very smart, I didn't know they could learn so many things. They're really fast at cycling, like professional cyclists.'
Just don't expect to see similar antics at London Zoo any time soon...
nice post
