Atruckstopsinfrontofalarge,open-airstructure.Elephantsstandbeneaththeshadeoftrees.Severalmahouts,thecaretakersoftheelephants,helpunloadspikyvinesfromthetruck.WeareattheThaiElephantConservationCenter(TECC)innorthernThailand.Thesevineswillbeusedtomakeanherbalmedicineforthe elephants.

IfirstcametoTECCin2017,whileworkingasaguideforstudentgroups.Iquicklynoticedseveralinterestingthings.First,TECChadoneofthemostadvancedelephanthospitalsintheworld.Oneofthewaystheytreatedelephantswaswithherbalmedicine.Asanethnobotanist, Istudythewaysthatpeopleuse,rely on,andrelatetoplants.So,thiscaughtmy attention.

Iknewthatplant-basedmedicineandbiomedicine(or“Western”medicine)aren’toftenfoundtogether.WhydidTECCusebothwhencaringfortheir elephants?

Next,Inoticedtheelephants’interestintheirherbalmedicine.Iknewthatelephantslovesweetfoods,justlikehumans.Theyeatgrass,butsugarcaneandcornarefavoritesnacks here.

Oneofthemahoutstoldmethatthespikyvinesareapowerfulmedicineforpeople.Itookatinynibble.ItwassobitterthatIneededadrinkof water.

Theelephants,however,happilyatethebitterplants.Why?Didtheyknowitwasmedicine?Ayearandahalflater,NationalGeographicSocietygavemeagrant.IwouldreturntoThailandtotrytofindthe answers.

ElephantshavecoexistedwithpeopleforthousandsofyearsinThailand.IdecidedtoworkwithagroupofhighlandpeoplecalledtheKaren.TheyliveinthemountainsofnorthernThailandandneighboring Myanmar.

TheKarenarefamousfortheirknowledgeofelephants.Howdidthisrelationshipbegin?Onestorytellsofhowtheelephantwasoriginallyhuman.Thenitlostitshumanityandbecameahelperof humankind.

Elephantsplayedaroleinnearlyeveryaspectoflifehere,similartohorsesinotherpartsoftheworld.Theirknowledgeoftheforestmeanttheywerethebestwaytotravellongdistancesover land.

Theirincrediblestrengthallowedthemtomoveheavyobjectslikestonesandsacksofrice.Manyelephantsworkedintheloggingindustry.Butascarsandtractorsreplacedolderwaysoflife,elephants’usefulness fell.

Loggingwithelephantsisconsideredmoreenvironmentallyfriendlythanusingmachines.But,centuriesofoverharvestingthreatenedremainingforests.In1989,loggingwas banned.

Elephantswerenolongerneededforthistypeofwork.Peopletriedtofindnewwaystokeeptheseincredibleanimals.Bynow,mostelephantshavebeenmovedtoelephantcampsfor tourists.