Happiness is a nice shower: elephants love the rainy season
Phang Nga Province is currently under siege from torrential rain. The rainy season, which normally lasts from May to October in Southern Thailand, has really been making its presence felt over the last few days, so much so that the already badly rutted main road leading to the STEF Veterinary Centre has become almost impassable. This is a major concern for us because the final government inspection (to allow the centre to open as an elephant hospital) is due to take place on 22nd September.
Fortunately the actual site of the STEF veterinary centre (near Khok Kloi) is standing up well to the onslaught. In 2018, when the project to build the centre began, great care was taken over the creation of a good drainage system. As a result, the tracks and landscape, as well as the buildings, are all coping well with the seemingly endless rain.
And, of course, elephants are always happy to to have rain; it keeps them cool, and the young elephants love playing in water. It is thought that elephants evolved from aquatic animals, which is probably why they enjoying spending so much time being wet. See Holly Collicott’s fascinating journal contribution about elephants and water to find out how these magnificent creatures use water for many purposes.
