点评:Horrified by the brutal training and harsh and solitary living conditions of elephants used in logging and tourism, Louise and Russell (British ex pats) and local P’kong decided they would rescue as many elephants as they could and allow them to live their lives on a peaceful 28-acre reserve. Once females can no longer breed, their asking price drops,significantly, so Hidden Forest has been home to ten “old ladies” since it opened in 2023.
We spent the morning feeding and observing them: no riding, no communal bathing, no stupid pet tricks. The elephants decide what they want to do, though their handlers (mahouts) can entice them to approach us with sugar cane stalks. Their eyesight is very poor and they mostly rely on smells, sounds and vibrations to guide them. Guides take special care to ensure the safety of both the elephants and the guests.
The highlights were feeding them bananas and watching them bathe and interact in water that wasn’t teeming with humans. We nicknamed four of them the Golden Girls, and watching them care for one another was absolutely heartwarming.
翻译:路易丝和罗素(英国侨民)以及当地人普孔对伐木和旅游业中大象遭受的残酷训练以及它们恶劣孤独的生活环境感到震惊,于是决定尽可能多地拯救大象,并让它们在一个宁静的28英亩保护区里安享晚年。雌象一旦失去繁殖能力,售价就会大幅下降,因此自2023年开放以来,“隐秘森林”一直是十头“老太太”的家园。
我们上午喂食并观察它们:没有骑乘,没有集体洗澡,也没有愚蠢的宠物把戏。大象自主决定自己的行动,尽管驯象师可以用甘蔗茎引诱它们靠近我们。它们的视力很差,主要依靠气味、声音和震动来辨别方向。导游会格外注意确保大象和游客的安全。
最精彩的部分是喂它们香蕉,以及看它们在没有其他人的水域里洗澡和互动。我们给其中四条鱼起了个绰号叫“黄金女郎”,看着它们互相照顾,真是太温馨了。