The white elephant is a white Asian elephant. In ancient Siam (now Thailand), there were many elephants. White elephants are so rare that they are regarded as treasures. Ordinary elephants can be used for labor, while white elephants can only be raised, not used for labor. Scientists have proved that white elephants are not elephants, and ordinary elephants have albinism. However, if an elephant doesn't work, it will cost a lot of money, which even ordinary nobles in Thailand can't afford. If the king of Thailand is dissatisfied with the courtier and gives him a white elephant, which is both a treasure and a royal gift, then the minister will worship the white elephant better and his family will soon decline. Later, English called the white elephant synonymous with expensive and useless things, which swept the world.

African white elephant

Photographer Mike Holding recently photographed a pink African elephant in Botswana's Okavango Delta. He was filming a group of 80 elephants for the BBC wildlife program.

The baby elephant with pink skin is considered to have albinism, which is a very rare phenomenon among African elephants. Experts say that this seemingly three-month-old elephant may suffer from skin diseases including sunburn, but it can protect itself by rolling in the mud and staying in the shade. Holding said: "At that time, the elephants were crossing the river, and we observed this little pink elephant for a few minutes. This is really an exciting moment for everyone in the camp. We know that this is a rare phenomenon, and everyone doesn't believe their eyes. "

The skin of albino elephants is not always white. Their skin is reddish brown or pink. Albinism is relatively common in Asian elephants, but it is still rare in larger African elephants.

Mike Chas, an ecologist, said, "I have only seen three African elephants with albinism. I have seen them in Kruger National Park in South Africa. We have been studying African elephants for ten years, and this is the first image evidence of albino African elephants I have ever seen. People saw it in Botswana's Okavango Delta. It has a higher chance of survival. It can hide under a big tree and roll in the mud, so that its body is covered with a thick layer of mud, which can protect it from the sun. The baby elephant in the first two to three months seems to have been walking in the shadow of the mother elephant. This behavior shows that it knows that it can't stand the hot sun in Africa and has taken unique actions to improve its chances of survival. I know that elephants are smart animals with strong adaptability. They are masters of survival. " Thailand is known as "the country of elephants". The giant elephant with bold legs as strong as a city wall is a symbol of good luck in the eyes of Thai people. The tour guide once boasted that the elephants in Thailand are considerate, hardworking, intelligent and spiritual. They are not only cheap labor, but also smart travel pets. I don't think so. In my impression, a clumsy elephant is something that looks stupid. There is nothing to talk about, just bragging.

In the mountainous areas of northern Thailand, elephants are the most hardworking model workers. It can carry thousands of kilograms, and a big nose with a length exceeding 1 meter can roll up things weighing 1000 kilograms. High mountains and dense forests, steep slopes and slippery roads. The elephant dragged the huge wood tied with chains from the rugged mountain to the pile of building blocks. There are two elephants collecting wood in the building block. They fanned their big ears like dustpans, shoveled them with two tusks and rolled them with their noses, just like a crane gently picking up thick wood and putting it in the designated position according to the owner's gesture. The littered wood will soon be tidied up for you. Visitors can also ride on the elephant's back and stroll on the winding mountain road. The elephant will give you what you want, without complaining or asking. )

Elephants play an important role in Thai life. It is the symbol of Thailand and the pride of Thai people. Elephants are closely related to the history, culture, religion and economy of Thailand. Therefore, no matter the king of Thailand or ordinary people, almost everyone loves elephants and has deep feelings for them. According to legend, Buddha Sakyamuni was born after his mother dreamed of white elephants. Thailand regards Buddhism as the state religion, so the white elephant has always been regarded as a symbol of prosperity. Take the Buddha statue in the reclining Buddha Temple in Bangkok as an example. Elephant sculpture and Buddha statue are put together for people to worship. The white elephant is the most precious elephant in Thailand. The so-called white elephants are not all white. All elephants with golden, silvery white, light green and red skin are called white elephants. In fact, it was foreigners who mistranslated the "Swiss elephant" into a "white elephant" and passed it down over time. Thailand is also known as the "Kingdom of White Elephants". Many folklore, literary works, paintings, sculptures and even proverbs in Thailand are related to elephants. Elephant images can be seen everywhere in Thailand, especially the lifelike elephant carved from teak, which is the most distinctive handicraft in Thailand. It is said that when the King and Queen of Thailand visited fourteen European countries in 1960, the gifts given to these heads of state were also elephants carved by teak.

Domesticated elephants not only help people to open up wasteland, build roads, cut down trees and carry heavy objects, but also were battle-hardened heroes in Thai history. Just like a war horse, ancient Thai war generals used elephants as mounts, and the monarch used white elephants as royal mounts to increase his power. Several famous ancient battles in Thai history were not only related to elephants, but also made great achievements in war neutrality. A Thai historian once said: If there were no elephants, the history of Thailand might have to be rewritten.

This teak carved war elephant vividly reproduces the wonderful moment when elephants helped others in the ancient Thai war. As can be seen from the wood carving, the elephant that the commander rode was luxuriously decorated, with a wooden sedan chair and a canopy on his back. Two warring elephants are struggling to move forward. The general and coach ride on the elephant's back, sit in the sedan chair, and the elephant owner sits on the elephant's hip. In the battle, the role of the elephant bender should not be underestimated. He manipulated the elephant to wait for an opportunity to lower his head to hold the opponent's elephant's chin, so that the soldiers sitting on it would be at a disadvantage because they lost their balance and were often hacked to death by their opponents. The most famous battle of elephants in Thai history took place on June 25th,1592,65438+,which was a battle between King Nalixuan of Thailand and the prince of Myanmar. At that time, the Prince of Myanmar led two armies to advance to Kyoto, Thailand, and the two sides launched a decisive battle in Pan Su County. At that time, the elephant that King Tai rode was in estrus. When he saw the enemy elephant running away, he pursued it. When the elephant stopped, the king of Thailand found himself surrounded by Burmese troops. At this time, the prince of Myanmar is leading the people to enjoy the cool under the tree. King Tai saw a brainwave and said in words, dare to compete alone? The prince of Myanmar immediately rushed the elephant to the king of Thailand to fight to the death. In the first round, the king of Thailand was at a disadvantage and his hat and helmet were cut. Immediately, King Tai seized the opportunity to hold high the head of the elephant that the prince of Myanmar was riding, and tended to chop the prince of Myanmar to death with a knife in his hand. Seeing that the commander-in-chief was dead, the Burmese army had no intention of fighting again and was defeated. From then on, Nali Xuanwang became famous. In the following 150 years, Myanmar did not invade Thailand again. This history of the elephant war is called the elephant war. To commemorate this elephant battle, Pan Su Palace built the Elephant Battle Tower, which was designated as the Army Day of Thailand after 65438+1October 25th.