It is hard to believe that anyone would go to the trouble of moving a piano out into a field for the purposes of playing it for the entertainment of an elephant.
It is something that did take place, and the entire event was heart touching for the elephant, the pianist, and for all those who have been able to see the video of it.
Ampan Enjoys Hearing Debussy “Clair de Lune” Being Played On The Piano
Ampan is an eighty-year-old elephant that is living out her last days on a reserve in Thailand.
From all indications, there could be no better place for her to spend whatever time she has left. Ampan has lived beyond the average age for an elephant, which is normally about 60 years but will depend on the specific species with some going to 70. The oldest living elephant on record was Lin Wang who lived to the age of 86.
Comfort for the Ailing Ampan
Ampan exhibits all the signs of being comforted by the rendition of “Clair de Lune.”
Although Ampan is blind in one eye and has very limited vision in the other her deameanour clearly indicates she can still hear. Ampan stands totally still behind the piano, but as soon as the gentleman starts playing it her ears begin to flap back and forth in a gentle motion. She begins to wave her trunk back and forth in a relaxed manner, almost as if she is keeping beat to the music.
Is That A Tear Falling From Ampan’s Eye?
A closeup of Ampans face gives the impression that this elderly female elephant is being emotionally touched by what she is hearing.
Some may say that it is a myth that elephants cry. For those that think this way, they may want to check out the story about Raju. This was the elephant that wept when rescued from a life of constant torture. Or the story about the baby elephant who cried for five hours after being stomped on by his mother.
Scientific Research
It is not just stories either.
An opinion piece from Live Science quotes March Bekoff an emeritus Profession at the University of Colorado as saying,” While scientists are not 100-percent certain, solid scientific research supports the view that elephants and other nonhuman animals weep as part of an emotional response…”. livescience
An Angry Elephant
All one has to do is to look at an angry elephant and compare this to the way that Ampan is reacting.
An angry elephant will hold their ears out for a prolonged period, and their tail will become stiff and stick out. Often they will create a rocking motion with one foot as if they are kicking up dirt. None of these signs of agitation could be seen in Ampan. In fact, when looking at her eyes she looks so relaxed that she may fall asleep.
An Act of Love
The entire performance put on for Ampan was an act of love
It is easy to see the love that is felt for Ampan by her keeper. The elephant is being housed at Elephants World in Thailand. Even the choice of music was well thought out. The name of the piece “Claire de Lune has a special meaning as it is French for “The Light of the Moon.” The song was written by Claude Debussy.
Elephant’s World
This is home for Ampan
This is a self-supporting organization in Thailand that provides care for domestic elephants in Thailand. Their priority is to provide outstanding care for the elephants while at the same time letting the public visit them and get to enjoy these magnificent animals.
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