A herd of wild Asian elephants was captured on drone footage sleeping soundly in a cornfield in southwest China's Yunnan Province, a rare sight that shows the elephants feel safe in the area.
In the aerial footage, all seven Asian elephants were seen lying on their sides among the soil and crops, their trunks curled up, sleeping without a hint of wariness.
One calf was seen sleeping back-to-back with an adult elephant, looking completely at ease. Another calf lay close to an adult, and in its sleep, it stretched its hind leg with a forceful kick, its foot landing squarely on the back of the adult elephant beside it.
"It's rare to see a whole herd of elephants sleeping so soundly like this. It shows they feel at ease with the surrounding environment. As monitors, seeing this scene brings us great comfort," said Zhao Shengbin, a wild elephant monitor in Jiangcheng County.
The lack of wariness in their sleep, Zhao explained, is exactly the sign that the elephants have developed a solid trust in both the local ecosystem and the relationship between humans and elephants in the area.
"Generally, they choose places that are high in elevation, close to water and have good ventilation. That way, it's convenient for them to drink water and keep an eye on their surroundings. Choosing to rest in this cornfield -- with forest behind it and a river below -- fits their living habits perfectly," Zhao said.
Herd of wild elephants caught on camera sleeping soundly in Yunnan cornfield
Herd of wild elephants caught on camera sleeping soundly in Yunnan cornfield
Thailand's rural tradition of elephant stewardship is rapidly vanishing as livelihoods change and younger people pursue opportunities elsewhere, threatening centuries of irreplaceable elephant-care knowledge.
For generations, mahouts in the region have passed on their tradition of closely bonding with the elephants they care for. Taweesuk Lapsan is one of a dwindling number of mahouts who diligently carry on the practice.
Long before the sun rises over the fields, he was already at work, gathering bundles of food for an animal that had been part of his family for generations.
"We've had elephants since our grandparents' and great-grandparents' generations. We've been around elephants our whole lives, so we have a strong connection and experience in raising them. That's how we've been able to live with them like this," the mahout said.
Caring for his elephant was not merely a job, but an inherited way of life. Years of daily coexistence forged an intimate bond defined by an intuitive understanding of subtle movements, sounds, and hesitations that take a lifetime to master.
"We live together like this. It's like a family. We're like family; we always go through things together. Until we breathe our last, it just depends on who lives longer," said Taweesuk.
Mahouts and elephants have been woven into parts of Thailand's cultural landscape, from rural livelihoods and traditional practices. However, the tradition has been upended by the collapse of the commercial logging industry and the rapid expansion of tourism.
As fewer young people follow in their families' footsteps, conservationists warned that an intricate system of animal care, refined over centuries, faces gradual extinction.
"When a mahout disappears, they are replaced by people who simply come in to take care of the elephants, essentially, elephant keepers. There are differences in terms of the bond between the keeper and the elephant, the cultural aspects, and the passing down of knowledge and traditions from one generation to the next. So we are concerned about the quality," said Parntep Ratanakorn, Secretary General of the Asian Elephant Foundation of Thailand.
Taweesuk said that his daughters may choose paths far removed from the stables, a decision he fully respects. As the practice fades, experts warn the loss extends far beyond a vanishing cultural heritage, threatening the daily welfare safety nets upon which captive elephants rely.
Thailand's centuries-old elephant care tradition face extinction as livelihoods change
