Mahout for a Day, Bali Zoo

A new year's day that I won't forget. Today, I learned what it takes to care for a Sumatran elephant for a day. It included washing, cleaning the pens, learning the commands, exercising, etc.  In the end, I learned a mahout can command an elephant, but the elephant is going to do whatever it wants.

"Full-day Experience with The Gentle Giant at Mahout For A Day"

Promo blurb from Bali Zoo: 

"Have you ever wondered what it would possibly be like to command the largest land animal on earth? Or perhaps learn up close and personal what it takes to care for a Sumatran elephant for a day? Bali Zoo is proud to feature a remarkable and one of a kind experience that you won’t soon forget with our signature Mahout For a Day program; the only one of its kind in Indonesia. Derived from the Hindi word mahout, a mahout is traditionally a person who rides, handles and cares for an elephant for most of its life."

"At Bali Zoo, most of our professional mahouts are from Sumatra where our elephants originate and for one day they will show you what a day in the life of one of these amazing creatures. Elephants, and therefore also mahouts, have long been integral to politics and the economy throughout Southern and Southeastern Asia. In addition to more traditional occupations, today mahouts are employed in many countries by forestry services and the logging industry, as well as in tourism."