Elephant Eyelashes

We walked out the wooden plank and jumped onto the hefty grey abyss. Taylor’s feet disappeared behind floppy ears as she straddled her neck. I climbed on next, holding on between a plastic bar and deeply wrinkled flesh.

Down between sets of trees we descended to the river. Our elephant walked right in and let us down. The trainer handed over brushes for the bath. We scrubbed roughly on the belly and underneath the ears.

They let us climb back on and stood up tall, telling us the animal couldn’t feel a thing. She pulled us up and down and dropped us in the water, spraying thick mist with her trunk.

And before the ride was over, we pushed our bodies into the mighty grayness for one last mammoth hug.

Animal Farm

The gaggle of cattle leers lazily in the sun. The mid day shadows drag out below their bellies towards our feet. The slobber slides down the jaw of one, as he slides his mouth back and forth with a smack.

The slender deer lift their heads and eat out of our palms. They toe up and down the steps, plucking fresh leaves from our hands. We run from animal to animal happily, thinking of the trip’s other afternoons, spent so sluggishly stretched out in the mud as the wild boars.

The biggest kittens

Are playful little cats.

-Tiger Temple, Thailand, Summer 2011

Tiger-Tiger ice cream

Down into a sandy bowl we walk, the air hot and heavy on our heads. We’re split up at the queue and I step ahead to two women in purple t-shirts holding out their hands. At the first tiger, I don’t know what to do, so I kneel and place hand awkwardly on his back.

Twist my head around and see the calm cats will let you do almost anything, save for a tummy rub. Next pair I grab two tails, see a playful little growl. I find a young tiger and lay right down with it, petting top to bottom down to the tail.

Later we watch a monk play with a small tiger’s paws, sprawled out on his robe. In another area we watch them toss and turn in a pool of water, rolling lumber kittens in the middle of a fight.

Our guide shows us the other animals then nods towards the car, leading us to an afternoon elephant ride.