Elephants are timid creatures, have a social order, but dont get me wrong they are powerful and are a wild animal, people say, (mahout) they have a special bond, that is BS,"Yes" you can have a special bond with a wild animal with mutual love and respect, but these mahout give brutal training using a elephant goad which is a sharp hook attached to a handle, and is often made of bronze or steel,it can cause injury and even blindness to elephants. in Thailand its just about Money!! Thais dont care about the elephant they just see it as a money making machine for the tourist Its ashame !!!