Elephant trails: saving the Asian giants
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The TP students filming the elephants. According to the ENP, African elephants number around 500,000 whilst the Asian variety has fallen to a disturbingly low estimated figure of below 30,000. |
THEY scrubbed elephants, scooped dung and tilled the land. They slept in thatched huts with simple beds, ate simply, lived off the land and learnt from the villagers. This was life for six Moving Images students from TP during an overseas study trip to Chiangmai’s Elephant Nature Park (ENP).
Their mission started out with their learning how to style
documentaries. But they came away from it with the
belief that they can do much more to help conserve Asian
elephants. The students returned to urban Singapore fired
up to produce two documentaries titled Understanding
Giants and An Elephant Never Forgets.
Their work exposed the extent of cruelty levied by
humans on elephants, and the arduous rescue and
rehabilitation process that the ENP undertakes to protect
these gentle giants. The documentaries were screened to
staff and students at TP, and proceeds from tickets were
donated to the ENP. Additional funds were also raised
through the sale of ENP handicraft at Temasek Design
School.
Click here for more information on the ENP. |
