Elephants are such majestic creatures. Elephants World in Thailand strives to protect elephants and rescue those who have been abused or raised in captivity. They treat these gentle giants with as much respect as they can.
For 80-year-old Ampan, the days of being an elephant have been long indeed. She has lived a full decade beyond the average lifespan of his species and is blind in both of her eyes.
As a nice gift for this ancient creature, one of the volunteers leads her to a clearing where a piano has been set up. Sitting down at the keys, the pianist plays Claude Debussy’s “Clair de Lune.”
The notes almost have a healing effect as Ampan immediately reacts to the music. She snorts and flaps her ears. Her trunk sways back and forth, curling and uncurling in time to the melody.
The camera zooms into her gentle eyes. They blink and seem to be in tears at the generous gift this musician has given to Ampan. You can see the wisdom and calmness in those eyes.
At the end of the song, the pianist gets up from the piano bench to hug Ampan. The elephant and the man hug each other like old friends, comforting each other.
This heartwarming gesture of love for a fellow earth creature is one outstanding example of how Elephant World strives to save and rehabilitate Thailand’s elephants.
