Meet Janet!

 Me and Janet

This is Janet. She works 4 hours a day taking people on a tour on her back.

The rest of the time she gets to walk around freely in the bush, just like a wild elephant. Janet has been brought up to do this, she started coming along with her mum when she was little, just like her own son now comes along with her. He is 3 years old and has just started being ridden.

Janet and her son with their riders

In order to ride an elephant you mainly use your voice, to tell them to walk, stop or turn. They also use a stick and poke the elephant's ear, pushing them gently in the direction they want them to walk. They use their heals if they want them to walk faster, just like we do on horses. They are not that different really.

 On top of Janet you are on top of the world!

I asked our rider if he had even fallen off an elephant, and he said he had once when they were training a new elephant who had attacked another elephant when he was riding it.

He didn't recommend it, as he ended up in hospital, but he said it gave him a funny story to tell!