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Homepage > Essays
on Thailand > The Elephant Round-up Festival The greatest event of the Surin round-up is a beautifully organised display of the talents and abilities of these superb beasts. The round-up first took place in 1960. It begins with a mass procession of all the elephants taking part, usually 120-150, ranging from calves only a few weeks old to the well-trained elephants with many decades of experience. During the show, hundred of the huge animals demonstrate their prowess at moving logs, playing soccer and winning a tug-of-war against human teams. Other demonstrations are designed to show not only the great strength of the elephants but also show they can be very intelligent, gentle and obedient. The show concludes with a mock battle illustrating what was formerly an important part of their duties. The round-up in those days was an annual state ceremony presided over by the king himself. There were prayers and citations devised for the ceremony and for the taming of captured elephants afterwards. In recent times, the event has been revived and has become a major tourist attraction for the country, with the province of Surin as the main center of activities. The event draws more and more visitors each year. The event is the occasion for great fun in which the visitors is welcome to join. It also offers superb opportunities for learning about the distinct folk culture of the Northeast.
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n capturing
and training wild elephants and the round-up. In the past wild elephants
lived in the forest areas of nearby Cambodia. Unfortunately, these areas
have been inaccessible due to civil war in Cambodia, and at the same time,
the elephant population is markedly decreasing thus the elephant catchers
must now make a living by taking their charges around the country giving
shows.
