Leaches and an Elephant at Khao Yai

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We just spent the last 3 days at the Khao Yai national rain forest. It is absolutely beautiful and full of wild life. We saw macat monkeys, Spoonbill birds, gibbons, a water monitor, barking deer, geckos, and millions of leaches! Ok, maybe not millions, but I flicked at least 20 off of me before they had a chance to bite. I hate parasites and think someone should study the benefit of wiping out all ticks, leaches, and mosquitoes then compare it to the environmental consequences. Finally someone should do a cost analysis to determine whether the benefits out weigh the negative ramifications.

Last night Barbara, Wyatt, and I dropped Mom and Dad off at the hotel and headed up to the forest (Barbara and Wyatt live in a cabin with other researchers). On our way up a truck stopped to say there is an elephant in the road. We drove a little further and saw a car facing us with the brights on and the outline of an elephants back legs and tail. We flashed the car to turn down his headlights, and the elephant started traversing down the road towards our truck. Wyatt started slowly reversing down the mountain to get out of the elephant’s path. As we move backwards the elephant started to follow us. Wyatt moved a little faster and the elephant picked up his pace to keep up. As the elephant charged us he let out a loud call. Finally a car drove up behind us and we had no choice but to drive forward and pass the elephant. Wyatt decided to speed past the elephant which scared him back into the forest. It turned out the car behind us had 2 park rangers in it. They said that elephant was only an adolescent and small. It may have been small for an elephant, but it was huge and could have easily crushed the car! Later the park ranger made fun of Wyatt for being scared of an elephant.

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