Taiwanese Girl Shoots an Elephant Version of "Follow Me" — With a Heartwarming Reason Behind It!

▲ A human-vs-elephant version of “Follow Me to,” with a heartwarming story behind the photo. (Photo / Provided by Li Peirong)

Reported by Lin Yuling / Interview & Writing

Taiwanese girl Li Peirong (also known as Doris) volunteered as a guide at Thailand’s “Elephant World” last month and unexpectedly took a human-elephant version of the “Follow Me to” hand-holding back photo — only she was holding an “elephant trunk.” This was part of a plan to lure Tan Mong, an elephant that didn’t like bathing in the river, using watermelon and bananas. Li also said,“Some people think animals are just beasts who don’t understand anything, but elephants are really smart, have a very keen sense of smell, are good at recognizing people, and you can hardly deceive them.”This journey has also become an unforgettable memory for her!

During her time volunteering with elephants in Thailand, Li spent a whole month with 24 elephants and participated in two rescue operations. She witnessed firsthand the inhumane and tragic conditions many elephants endure due to tourism-driven exploitation. Especially those used for rides often bear“indentations”on their backs, suffer from physical deformities and weakness, endure immense mental stress, and some are so emaciated they work until they collapse.

Even after being rescued, an elephant’s recovery period is surprisingly long — typically one to two years— due to their size, digestive system, and prolonged stress. For example, an elephant named Tan Mong was rescued in 2014. When he first arrived, he was extremely thin, even his skull was sunken, and it has taken two full years of care for him to show slight signs of recovery.

▲ When Tan Mong was first rescued two years ago, even his skull was sunken. (Photo /ElephantsWorld I2  . I2 #2)

Tan Mong didn’t like bathing with other elephants or going to the river. To coax him, Li Peirong and other volunteers used food like watermelon and bananas to lure him, gradually guiding him to the river, where they unexpectedly captured the “Follow Me to” hand-holding back photo together.

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▲ Taking tourists to the river to bathe elephants is one of the regular tasks for guide volunteers. (Photo / Provided by Li Peirong)

She also said,“Many people think animals are just beasts who don’t understand anything, but elephants are actually very intelligent.”“They usually bond with only one mahout. One day, when a particular elephant’s dedicated mahout was on leave and someone else filled in, the elephant went off to forage on its own, not wanting to bother anyone. Another time, a tourist fed an elephant papaya, but the elephant kept dropping it and refusing to eat. After asking the volunteers, we learned it preferred bananas. Though the elephant couldn’t see what was in the basket, it could smell the bananas inside. It only started eating the papaya after being given bananas.So, don’t try to fool them.”

There’s also another rescued elephant in the park whose mahout once warned the staff, “It doesn’t like women.” The reason? Its previous owner was a long-haired man who treated it very badly, so the mahout guessed it might resent long-haired women. Surprisingly, when many female volunteers approached it, they found it showed no particular aversion,“Proving that elephants not only recognize people but also distinguish between them — they are highly intelligent animals.”

▲ Li Peirong says elephants not only recognize people but also distinguish between them — they are very intelligent animals. (Photo / Provided by Li Peirong)

▲ Even after being rescued, an elephant’s recovery period can be surprisingly long, possibly taking at least one to two years. (Photo / Provided by Li Peirong)


▲ Tan Mong was rescued in 2014. When he first arrived, he was extremely thin, even his skull was sunken. Now, after two years of care, he is gradually recovering. (Photo / Provided by Li Peirong)

Li said that during her volunteer work, she often had to chop bananas and pineapples under the scorching sun,which was tough, but the chance to work with locals in Thailand and care for the animals made it an unforgettable experience!During that time, she also made many foreign friends and promised to reunite while traveling in each other’s countries.

And when visitors come to “Elephant World,” they can help harvest and wash fruits, prepare corn porridge and snacks for the elephants, feed them by hand, and even bathe them in the river. The park’s core mission is:“Instead of making elephants work for us, we work for the elephants.”So next time you travel to Thailand and want to get up close with elephants, you might consider getting to know them in this way – it’s sure to be an unforgettable journey.

▲ Chopping bananas and pineapples under the blazing sun for the elephants is tough work, but having the chance to serve these animals is a rare experience. (Photo /ElephantsWorld I2  . I2 #2)

▲ At “Elephant World,” elephants can return to nature – this is the life they deserve. (Photo / ElephantsWorld I2  . I2 #2)

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