An elephant’s body is built for life in a tropical jungle. Their ears radiate heat while their trunk is actually a long nose used for smelling, breathing, drinking, grabbing and finding food – all done using 100,000 different muscles. Each day in the forest, they scrounge up an average of 300 to 500 pounds of food including roots, bamboo, fruits and even medicinal plants when needed.

Adult males (bulls) tend to roam the wild on their own while female elephants (cows) live in family herds with their young. If a female is emotionally stable and healthy, she will conceive one calf every two to four years, carrying her young longer than any other mammal with a gestation period lasting up to 22 months. At birth, calves weigh an average of 200 pounds and stand approximately 3 feet tall.

One Thai legend compares marriage to an elephant, with the husband representing the front legs that choose direction and the wife representing the back legs for power. It is one of the reasons elephants are one of Thailand’s greatest symbols because locals believe that these creatures grant wealth and good fortune.

During ancient times, elephants could talk. There was one black tusk elephant that was very mean and wicked.

The way Phra Uchaentara became famous for being a good mahout is that he challenged the elephant to a duel. But he disguised himself as an old man and waited for the black tusk elephant at the edge of the jungle.

When the elephant came out of the jungle and saw him, the elephant asked, “Uncle, where can I find Phra Uchaentara’s house?” Phra Uchaentara told him the way but said that to show him, he had to let him ride on the elephant’s neck. When Phra Uchaentara got on the elephant’s neck, he directed him into sinking mud but told him to continue on. Finally the elephant said he couldn’t stand it anymore. He was too deep in the mud.

Phra Uchaentara said, “It’s just another distance equivalent to the length of your body.” When the elephant walked that length, Phra Uchaentara started destroying the elephant. He beat him into submission.

So Phra Uchaentara became the wise one. Then he revealed himself to the elephant and told him that he was Phra Uchaentara that had challenged him to the duel. The elephant said he gave up and would not fight anymore and asked Phra Uchaentara to take him out of the mud.

Phra Uchaentara agreed. So he cut down a log and walked him out. That is the story behind the mahout.