Pack Your Trunk, Dear - We're Moving

The life-cycle of the Thai elephant is not so different from a human one; they are weaned on mother's milk between two and four years, the cows can bear calves when sixteen and  if domesticated they are ready for work at that same age.

The Thai elephant is fully-grown by twenty and their physical prime begins to deteriorate- arthritis, failing eyesight and decaying teeth are our in-common complaints- at forty.

Sadly they start to go bald at the age of thirty and they are mostly knackered by 50 and thus ready for light-working duties. The average elephant can expect to live to 70 years of age.

And, when these magnificent beasts have rolled their last logs, collected their gold watches, and said their  farewells to workmates, they too now have somewhere to head to in retirement.

That's because Thailand has opened its first retirement home for elephant oldies. Set amongst lush grass, banana and pineapple trees and with a small river meandering through the property ( just as well because elephants consume more that 130 kilograms of food and 75 litres of water daily), this new place of peace for pachyderms sounds idyllic.

The home has room for 200 elderly elephants and the oldest resident is the blind, 72 year-old Plai Kam-Meun. Chief of the home,  Manoonsak Tantiwiwat, promises that the elephants will be taken care of, '...until their last breath.'

Thailand's elephant population falls by about 3% a year.