Visiting Elephant Safari Park, Ubud, Bali

My friends and I made it to come to Elephant Safari Park in Ubud. I was smiling when we reached the Park, because there was a big sign says ELEPHANT AREA, BE AWARE!

Not too long, I already sat comfortably on Fitri’s back, the Sumatran Elephant who will take me around the park. Little did I know that Fitri was terribly hungry that time. While we were cruising, suddenly she was off the track and pulled out some small trees around her with her trunk! Oh me God, it was a disaster for me!! My body was tossed left and right and I was really scared to death!

Good thing Fitri’s tamer knew her really well and was able to calm her. We stopped for few minutes to give her time enjoying her food. The rest of the journey was really fun! At the end of the journey, we went in to the small pool where the elephants normally pooped! I'm not joking! Look at the color of the water!! Hahaha! Afterwards, we fed the elephants and had the opportunity to play with them! They are such a smart animals!

At the Elephant Safari Park, we visited the little museum/gift shop there, the guy who was part owner, I think his name was Bill told us his story. At first we were looking at these different tusks that were carved and I think even some for sale, so I was confused because I know that there is an international ban on trade in ivory from elephant tusks, so when we asked the guy he said that all the tusks came from elephants not only dead (duh), but extinct for many, many years.

He told me that he goes up to Alaska, usually by himself, and explores in the creeks and small rivers that come out of the glaciers and there he finds the tusks. These tusks came from Mammoths, ancestors of modern elephants that used to live in that area tens of thousands of years ago. I don't how long Mammoths have been extinct but it was during the time of cave men 'cause they used to hunt them. Anyway, long ago the Mammoths in that area died and their skeletons either got buried in the snow and ice or in the ground, or over time as ice has melted or soil eroded the tusks have reappeared in the creeks and small rivers.

Since that species is extinct, there is no ban on the ivory, not trading in the ivory is not going to save these animals, 'cause they're all freaking DEAD already, ya!

Anyway, it was pretty cool that he would go get these tusks, places where there are no roads, no villages, he has to take an airplane that can land on lakes then brings along a canoe and tries to collect these tusks, which then are really big and not so easy to even get back to the developed world! There's danger of grizzly bears up there not to mention he has to bring with him everything he needs, no stores, nothin' there. He has to be ready when the plane comes back to get him. It's cool to know that the ancient tusks he found in the northern part of North America are now in Bali, a tropical zone, over 10,000 miles away!