Atruckrumblestoastopinfrontofalarge,open-airpavilion.Elephantsstandundertheshadeofnearbyteaktrees.Severalmahouts,thecaretakersofelephants,helpunloadapileofspikyvinesthatfillsthetruckbed.WeareattheThaiElephantConservationCenter(TECC)innorthernThailand.Thesevines,themahoutstellme,willbeusedtomakeanherbalmedicinefortheelephants’ care. 

IfirstcametoTECCin2017,whileworkingasaguideforstudentgroups.Iquicklynoticedseveralinterestingthings.ThefirstwasthatTECChadoneofthemostadvancedelephanthospitalsintheworld,andonewaythecentertreatedelephantswaswithherbalmedicine.As an ethnobotanistwhostudiesthedifferentwaysthatpeopleuse,rely on,andrelatetoplants,thiscaughtmy attention.

Iknewthat“traditional”plant-basedmedicineandbiomedicine(or“Western”medicine)aren’toftenfound together.

WhydidTECCuseherbalmedicinealongsidebiomedicinewhencaringfortheir elephants?

AnotherthingInoticedwashowinterestedtheelephantswereintheirherbalmedicine.Elephantslovesweetfoods,justlikehumans.At TECC,theyaremainlyfedelephantgrass,butsugarcaneandsweetcornaretwooftheirfavorite snacks. 

Oneofthemahoutstoldmethatthespikyvines,Tinosporacrispa, areapowerfulmedicineforpeople.Heencouragedmetotakeatinynibbleofthebittervine.Itwasintense!SobitterthatIcouldn’tswallowitwithoutadrinkof water.

Thenthemahouttossedpiecesofvinetothenearbyelephants.Theyquicklygrabbedthepieceswiththeirtrunks,crunchedthembetweentheirmassiveteeth,andswallowedthemdown.Whywouldthesesweet-lovingelephantshappilyeatsuchabitterplant?Didtheyknowitwasmedicine?Thesequestionsgnawedatme,andayearandahalflater,NationalGeographicSocietygavemeagranttoreturntoThailandtotrytofind
the answers.

ElephantshavecoexistedwithpeopleascaptivesandcompanionsforthousandsofyearsinThailand.Somecultureshavecloserrelationshipswiththemthanothers.IdecidedtoworkwithagroupofhighlandpeoplecalledtheKaren.TheyliveinthemountainsofnorthernThailandandneighboring Myanmar. 

TheKarenarefamousfortheirknowledgeofelephants.Nooneknowswhenthisrelationshipbegan,butoneKarenstorytellsofhowtheelephantwasoriginallyhuman.Thenitlostitshumanityandbecameahelperof humankind.

Traditionally,elephantsplayedacriticalroleinnearlyeveryaspectoflifehere,similartotherolehorsesplayinotherpartsoftheworld.Theirknowledgeoftheforestmeantthatthebestwaytotravellongdistancesoverlandwasonthebackofan elephant.

Theirincrediblestrengthallowedthemtomoveheavyobjectslikestones,logs,andsacksofharvestedrice.Manyelephantsworkedintheloggingindustry,whichwasveryhardwork.Butascars,tractors,andmachineshavereplacedolderwaysoflife,elephants’usefulnesshas dwindled.

Loggingwithelephantsisoftenconsideredmoreenvironmentallyfriendlythanusingmachines,becauseelephantsdon’tneedroadstoaccessthejungle.But,centuriesofoverharvestingwasthreateningThailand’slastremainingforests,soin1989,loggingwas banned.

Aftertheban,elephantswerenolongerneededforthistypeofwork.Yet,theancientrelationshipbetweenpeopleandelephantsremainedstrong.Peopletriedtofindnewwaystoworkwiththeseincredibleanimals.Mostelephantsweremovedtoelephantcampsfortourists,wheretheyserveasanattractionforvisitorsfromaroundthe world.