Arriving at the elephant camp with my elephant trimming tools in my backpack, ready for an afternoon of trimming – Lena Quenard founder of Association Moey who I was to assist shared that Champa Kali was difficult to trim.
Champa Kali’s mahouts and Lena shared that it was routine for Champa Kali to stand up to have her feet trimmed as she wasn’t wanting to lie down for trimming. Trimming elephants feet when the elephant doesn’t enjoy lying down is an arduous process. As soon as the human coerces the elephant to lie down they get right back up again. This constant up and down is dangerous for the human and the elephant. Instead of assisting in trimming Champa Kalis feet I decided to watch how Lena and the mahouts navigated trimming Champa Kali – Thinking this would be more helpful to her when communicating with Champa Kali about the process.
I watched the trimmers struggle to reach under Champa Kalis nails with her standing on all four feet with no access to reach her pads. Not wanting to agitate the elephant and working on a tight timeline due to this elephant getting a call to give rides at any moment Champa Kali was not getting the foot care she needed to keep her feet healthy.
Champa Kali communicated to me that she would not like to lie down near her chain post for trimming. Champa Kali then shared that she enjoys lying down in the chain free corral. Having Champa Kali lie down for trimming in her coral I was told was not safe for the humans. I then asked Champa Kali if we brought a block for her to rest her foot on near her chain post, allowing Lena and the mahouts’ access to her pads/underside of her nails would she enjoy having her feet trimmed in that way? Champa Kali replied, “Yes!” Champa Kali also shared that she loves her number one mahout very much! Lena and the mahouts set the intention of procuring a block of wood along with training Champa Kali to raise her feet.
Weeks later on New Year’s Eve I went to hang out with Champa Kali, the other elephants in this camp, their mahouts and Lena – When I arrived to hang out Champa Kali had not yet returned from giving rides to humans which is referred to as going on safari. When Champa Kali arrived home from safari for the evening I greeted her telepathically wishing her a happy new year as the mahouts unsaddled her. The afternoon progressed to evening. As the sun was setting finding myself alone at the fire I moved my chair to face the chained elephants. Next thing I knew Champa Kali raised her right foot near her chain post with a big smile – “Look, Annette!” I pulled out my camera capturing this shot of Champa Kali with the orbs!
Photo – Champa Kali December 31, 2018, Sauraha Nepal – Photo Credit: Annette Hadaway
नङ काट्ने उपकरण मेरो ब्याग भित्र राखि दिउसाे म हात्ती शिविरमा आइपुगे- एसोसिएसन मोएको संस्थापक लीना क्यनेर्ड जो संघ सझेदारीमा चम्पा कली को नङ काट्नु पर्ने जुन चाहिँ गह्रौ थियो।
चम्पा कलीको महुते र लीनाले भने कि नङ काट्नकाे निम्ति चम्पा काली पल्टिन रुचाउन्न थिन त्यसैले सधै उब्बिनु उस्को दिन्चार्य भएको थियो। हात्ती जब सुत्न मान्दैन तब उनरुको नङ काट्ने काम एकदमै कठिन हुन जन्छ। मान्छेले हात्तीलाई फकएर सुताउन साथ हात्ती फेरी उठि हाल्छ जुन मानिस र हात्ती दुबैको लागी हानिकारक हो। चम्पा कालीको नङ काट्न सघाउनु भन्धा म हेरेर बसे कि लीना र महुतेले कसरी चम्पालाई निर्देशन दिदा रहेछन भनेर र सोचें कि त्यो समय चम्पा कलीसङ्ग संचार गर्न उपयुक्त हुनेछ।
चम्पा कली आफ्नो चार खुट्टामा उब्बिदा नङ काट्ने मान्छेहरुलाई चम्पाको पैताला सम्म पुग्न गर्हो भएको मैले महसुस गरिएको थिए । हात्तीलाई रीस नाउठाइ,साँघुरो समयरेखामा काम गर्दै कुनै पनि क्षणमा सवारी चढाउन फोन आउनाले चम्पा कलीलाई चाहिने खुट्टाको स्वस्थ्यको हेरविचार पर्याप्त मात्रामा पुगिरहेको छैन।
चम्पा कलीले संचारको माध्यमबाट मलाई भनिन कि नङ काट्नकाे लागि उसलाई उसको साङ्लो नजिक पल्टिन पटक्कै मन छैन भनेर। उसले बताइन कि उसलाई साङ्लो मुक्त छेत्रमा पल्टिन रमाइलो लाग्छ रे। तर मलाई भनिएको थियो कि चम्पा कली उनको कोरालमा टिृमिगंकाे लागि पलटि्नु मानिसहरु को लगि सुरक्षित थिएन।” के हामी तिम्रो खुट्टालाई आराम दिन साङ्लो नजिक एउटा मुढा ल्याएर रखिदिदा तिमी , लीना र माहुतेलाई तिम्रो नङ काट्न सजिलो हुनेछ” भनेर सोध्दा उसले हुन्छ भनेर जवाफ फर्कायो। उसले यो पनि भनिन कि उसलाई उसको पहिलो महुते (फनित) को धेरै माया लाग्छ हरे ! लीना र महुतेहरु ले मुढा खोजेर चम्पा कलि लाई उसको खुट्टा उचाल्ने तालिम दिने सोच बनाए।
नया बर्षको पुर्बी सन्ध्याको केही हप्ता अघि म चम्पा कली,अरु हात्तीहरु, लीना र माहुते हरु संघ समय बिताउन भनेर गइरहेको बेला थाहा पाए कि चम्पा कलि अझै सफारीबाट फर्केको रहेनछ। सझ पख सफारी बाट चम्पा कलि फर्किए पछी उसको माहुते ले जिन फुकाल्दै गरेको बेला मैले उसलाई टेलिप्याथिकल्ली नया बर्षको सुभकामना दिये। दिउँसो साझामा परिणत हुदै गयो। घाम अस्ताउदै गरेको बेलामा म आगोको नजिक कुर्सीमा आफुलाइ एकलै साङ्लो बधियेको हात्तीहरु हेर्दै गरेको पाये। अर्को कुरा मलाई थाहा थियो कि चम्पा कली मुस्कुराउदै साङ्लो नजिक आफ्नो दाहिने खुट्टा उचाल्दै मलाई भनिन-“हेर अन्नेत्ते(Annette)!” मैले तुरुन्तै आफ्नो क्यामेरा निकालेर चम्पा कली त्यो तस्बिर खिची हाले!
तस्बिरमा- चम्पा कली, डिसेम्बर ३१,२०१८, सौराहा नेपाल- अन्नेत्ते हादावे(Annette Hadaway) द्वारा लिएको तस्बिर
Animal and Nature Connect 