Khao Yai along with another couple of adjoining parks form a forest island where mammals can dwell in relative safety.
Elephant droppings are often seen along the road and herds sometime will come walking shoulder to shoulder or enjoying the minerals from a salt lick.
Most time one encounter elephants it is the lone individual. These males are on their own until they can find a mate and start another family group. In musth they can be moody and aggressive and they are also not shy of looking for food in restaurants, tents and vehicles. Still, it is not every visit that yields an elephant encounter.

So, this time I had several. Always the lone one.

1. This one was found at a salt lick 100m from the road. Good distance to keep them at.
Elephants are clearly too big for any human to mess around with and they deserve respect. After all it is their home we are invading.

2. Around noon I felt sleepy and so pulled over in a shady secluded area by a small bridge and a stream. I don’t leave my windows open in the park unless I am in the car as monkeys love to get inside and take whatever they can find to eat.

I quickly snoozed off. Then I was abruptly awoken by some scratching sounds from the roof of the car. Eh, what was going on? A look to the left revealed the chest of an elephant next to the car. I looked to the right and there about 30cm from my face the trunk was! My God, he was sniffing and moving it about like a snake. Clearly not the best situation, having an elephant with his chin on the roof, trunk through the window and chest against the other side. Ha! I reached for the ignition and started the engine….quickly got the gear engaged and pulled out. Whew! I left him standing there in what looked like bewilderment. Here he is standing after having been deprived his new found toy.
(someone told me that the day before a small sedan had been wrecked by an elephant stepping all over it but with no people inside)

3. The following morning I wanted to visit the Radar station as there has been a lot of moth showing of late and birds come to feed on them. I was hoping no Jumbo would be around. I was early and no one else on the road.
Then, suddenly, about 3 km from the top, right in a 90% bend I was startled to come across another male elephant, this one was sleeping on the road. So, I quickly came to a halt, reversed a bit (20m is too close for my likening)….The bull woke up, stood on his feet and remained in the middle of the road for a full hour. Ha! Messing with an elephant is not my cup of tea!
So I lived to tell the tale and I thank my Maker I came through it unschated!