Battle of the elephants: Giant warriors re-enact ancient fight in Thailand

Battle of the ancients: Elephants Plai Ngathong and Plai Cocholaat with their mahouts, Toi, 30, and Ya, 27, stage an amazing fighting performance in Suphan Buri, Thailand last week


With lightning speed and military precision, they lock dusks and dodge the lethal spears carried by the warriors on their backs.

These stunning beasts are re-enacting the ancient fighting scenes of their ancestors.

The giant bull elephants have been specially trained by their skilled mahouts to fight - but the real battle is in training the elephants to know the difference between a mock clash and a real one.


The giant warriors are re-enacting the ancient fighting scenes of their ancestors for a stage production of King Naresuan, scenes depicting the king going in to battle to kill the Burmese prince Minchit Sra


'These are war scenes depicting the kings going to battle,' said Ewa Narkiewicz, from Elephantstay in Thailand.

'Our elephants are highly trained using special techniques. The idea is to show Thai people what role the elephant played in their history.'

Elephants Plai Ngathong and Plai Cocholaat are residents of Elephantstay in Ayutthaya, Thailand.

Here the 25-year-old bulls have undergone years of training to safely recreate mock fight scenes.


The two elephants, both 25, have undergone years of safety training to ensure the mock battle does not turn into a real one


The production of King Naresuan tells the story of Yuttahadhi, or the 'Elephant Battle', when the Siam King fought and killed the Burmese prince Minchit Sra on elephant back.

It features elephants, riders on horseback, hundreds of extras, fireworks and flares in a purpose built stadium near Suphanburi, 135km north of Bangkok.

Along with providing an important source of income, the work gives the elephants much-needed stimulation and pushes the skills of their mahouts.


The re-enactment is said to be helping to re-establish the mahout's position in Thai society


It is important for the mahout and elephant to develop a strong bond, so the lumbering beasts know the command to fight is really only signalling a play fight.

'If they started to fight for real they could really damage each other,' said Ewa.

She added the warrior re-enactment is helping to improve the mahout's status in Thai society.

'In the past being a mahout was an incredibly noble profession,' Ewa said.

'This is what the mahout did, they were skilled warriors. Now they are often begging on the streets and people see them as lower-class citizens.

'By doing these re-enactments we are raising the standing of the mahout back to what it was.'


source: dailymail