Thai elephants get potty training

Agence France-Presse ^ | January 19, 2005 | AFP

[AntiGuv]

BANGKOK (AFP) - Having taught Thailand's elephants to paint, dance and play musical instruments, their Thai handlers are now toilet-training the beasts, media reported.

Handlers -- known as mahouts -- have installed giant human-style toilets at a camp in the northern city of Chiang Mai to try to rid the tourist attraction of unsightly droppings, according to the Nation newspaper.

Some seven elephants at the privately run camp beside Chiang Mai Zoo are being trained to sit like a human on the giant white toilets, which can be flushed by pulling on a rope with a gentle tug of the trunk, said the daily.

It showed a picture of a five-year-old elephant named Diew testing out one of the oversized concrete toilets, which has been fitted with equally jumbo-sized plumbing.

The elephants were reportedly rescued from the streets of Bangkok where people were using them to collect money from tourists.

[AntiGuv]

OK, I admit it's not the most important news of the day, but still!

[cweese]

What a nice present to bestow upon Rosie O'Donnell!

[Roccus]

IIRC, no elephants were killed in the tsunami. They all lit out for higher ground.
Instead of spending billions of dollars for a high-tech warning system, they should just station some pachyderms along the coast, with potties, and keep an eye on them. When they get nervous and head inland, follow 'em.

[duckbutt]

yeah, but I bet he leaves the seat up.....

typical male......

[jtminton]

Probably a better idea than a litter box.

[cajungirl]

Somehow, and I am trying to resist this as I have no sympathy for PETA, this seems to be a blow to the elephants dignity.

[quark]

I thought Hellery was already potty trained!?

[Rebelbase]

"Thai elephants get potty training"

"Man sells his left nut on ebay"

"Aussie girls can stand to pee "

It's the good old days!

[Cagey]

It's 2001 all over again!

[killjoy]

IIRC, no elephants were killed in the tsunami. They all lit out for higher ground. Instead of spending billions of dollars for a high-tech warning system, they should just station some pachyderms along the coast, with potties, and keep an eye on them. When they get nervous and head inland, follow 'em.

Yes, and no. In Thailand, there are no wild elephants in the areas that got hit. A very large percentage of the elephants in Thailand are kept in camps like the one mentioned in the article. Technology has replaced most of the traditional uses of the elephant and the owners simply can not afford the cost of raising the animals. The only elephant camp I know of in the tsunami hit areas was in Kao Lak. This camp is not along the coastline so it wasn't damaged. Nice myth that they headed for higher ground, but unfortunately it is simply a myth.

[killjoy]

Somehow, and I am trying to resist this as I have no sympathy for PETA, this seems to be a blow to the elephants dignity.

There are a lot of problems related to elephants in Thailand because of the huge costs of raising them. If this can help raise money to pay for their food and medical checkups, great! I am sure this will bring in most tourist dollars which the elephant camps desperately need.

[Space Wrangler]

Not only did they take off for higher ground, but stopped just a few hundred feet from where the wave made it to inland. As if they knew not only what was coming, but how far the wave would make it inland. Weird.

[killjoy]

Not only did they take off for higher ground, but stopped just a few hundred feet from where the wave made it to inland. As if they knew not only what was coming, but how far the wave would make it inland. Weird.

Impossible. See my post #10 on this thread.

[melbell]

Who do I contact to hire these guys to potty train my puppy?

[Roccus]

I had seen a story on one of the news shows of a Japanese couple who were taking a touristy ride on an elephant when it took off for the high ground. It was claimed that this is what saved them. I guess it was just so much more fluff out of the idiot box.
Thanks for the correction.

[Constantine XIII]

That's friggin awesome.

Now they just need friggin laser beams on their heads! :D

[Space Wrangler]

Just going by some first-hand press reports of what some European tourists had to say. Could have been made up press reports though. You never know.

[AntiGuv]

Elephants Saved Tourists from Tsunami.

[Ellesu]

LOL!

[Conservative_boy_in_Bangkok]

I wish some one would potty train the stinking elephants that live by my Soi (street) they block traffic, and leave huge smelly ponds and mounds on the streets needless to say, it makes ur morning run more challenging. Luckily street sweepers come by periodically.