Notes from the Field :
Kh. Cherry, an Elephants Best Friend
March 25^th, 2010

Though Elephant Polo is currently largely dominated by men, there is a strong and enthusiastic female presence at the tournament as well – and not just among the players. Aside from this year’s all-female elephant polo team (the IBM Spice Girls) one of the most important figures on the field is Cherry Keratimanochaya, 26. Cherry is the veterinarian responsible for the health and well-being of the elephants here. Additionally, as the official elephant vet of Anantara Golden Triangle Resort & Spa, she’s involved year-round in taking care of the animals and teaching tourists about basic elephant health care.

Trained in Bangkok’s prestigious Chulalungkorn University, Cherry came on board at Anantara two years ago and has experienced an intimacy with elephants that few in the world ever get to enjoy. With only about 20 elephant vets in Thailand, Cherry is a young and talented member of an elite few in the kingdom. Nevertheless, she maintains that with increased conservation efforts and the increasing role that elephants are playing in tourism, the demand for elephant vets is growing sharply.

 Most tourists who take a mahout training course at Anantara opt for a simple one-day introduction to the basic commands and mounting strategies associated with elephant riding. However, those who opt for the more in-depth three day course get to learn from Cherry how to administer basic health care to elephants – everything from checking their pulse (25-30 beats per minute is normal and is measured by feeling the artery behind their ear) to taking their temperature.
When asked what her most memorable experience has been over the last two years Cherry admits that witnessing the birth of baby “Am” almost two years ago will always stay in her mind. Her mother, “Bua Thong” was so unusually tall that it necessitated the fashioning of a special stepladder so that the tiny baby could nurse properly!

Here at the elephant polo tournament Cherry spends most of her time paying close attention to the elephants  to see if they’re feeling well and don’t get overheated. And while she is specially trained to understand the symptoms of elephant health, the young doctor admits that the most reliable source of information is the mahouts (elephant handlers) themselves. Having spent their whole lives together, no one is better able to say how the animals are doing than their intimate, lifelong and devoted friends.