In Myanmar, Elephants are still an inseparable part of Myanmar culture and religion. You can see and hear about them in Puppet Shows, story-telling, traditional songs, theatre, a number of Buddhist Festivals and ceremonies. Elephants also played a vanguard role in wars that were fought by ancient Myanmar Kings.

The most significant role that, Myanmar’s elephants perform today is, stumping and skidding of logs in the natural teak bearing forests. It is absolute amazing to witness how they use their trunks, their foreheads, their tusks and their front legs so cleverly in maneuvering or lifting logs in order to stack them.

Most prominent are the “Hsin Pwe” or “Elephant Show” performed annually at Kyaukse Town in Central Myanmar.

The Elephant Show at Muse, a city in Northern Shan State is a show not to be missed. Here, the audience can see tamed elephants performing all kinds of clever tricks and breath-taking feats. All tourists who attend this show are captivated by the performances of these intelligent animals.

The close coordination and cooperation between man and animal has to be developed through a number of years. They need to nature a mutual affection and understanding through an intimate relationship, always being together and doing things together.

Training of elephants begin at the early age of four years, when they are taught the basics and permitted to trail their working mothers, so as to familiarize them with routine daily chores.

So they are without doubt, guardians of one of our most precious national heritages and our natural forests.