Thanks for the feed back on Asian Elephants Hugo and Jon.
Jon, I am sure they were not African Elephants, though they looked more like
an African Elephant in some ways than an 'Asian'. The locals and the Aussie
guide I had said they were a special species of Elephant from the foothills
of the Himalayan Mts. I have not been able to find out anything of such a
species or subspecies so if your reading 'unearths' something Jon I would
appreciate hearing from you. Don't forget I have some photos if any one is
interested.
I was in Thailand on a 'pilgrimage' along the Thailand/Burma 'death railway'
where my father was a POW slave labourer in WWII. In reading about those
days, the Aussie POW's spoke of 'yaks' 'buffalo' and 'cattle'. This puzzled
me, for Bos Indicus cattle and Water Buffalo could be identified, but I was
most intrigued by the 'yaks'. The Aussie guide and historian and well
informed naturalist said that the 'yaks' were a special sub species of very
small bodied cattle. So, like the elephants, we have this rather amazing
range of cattle breeds/subspecies? too. Apparently the locals are trying to
breed out the small cattle 'yaks' with the large ones and I wonder if there
has been any study on the small 'yaks' to ascertain how different they are
to the larger breed of the area. Does anyone know anything on this subject?
Thanks,
Chris Coleborn
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