Elephant "Spa Month" Rewards Hard Labor

Elephant
Elephant
Elephant
Elephant
Elephant
Elephant
More
News
Photos
Elephant
<< Previous   5 of 6   Next >>
Trainers feed elephants at the annual rejuvenation camp at the Punnathur Palace in Guruvayur, India, on August 11, 2007.

The main feeding starts 3 p.m. daily, when the elephants assemble after their baths.

The food consists of rice, lentils, millet, turmeric powder and clarified butter. The elephants' medicines include hemoglobin boosters and live boosters among other traditional treatments.

During the month long camp the elephants gain 550 to 660 pounds (250 to 300 kilograms).

• More Photos in the News
• Today's Top 15 Most Popular Stories
• Free Email Newsletter: "Focus on Photography"

—Photograph by E.V. Sreekumar
 

MOST VIEWED NEWS

2012: Six End-of-the-World Myths Debunked

APOCALYPSE PICTURES: 10 Failed Doomsday Prophecies

PICTURES: "Extraordinary" Ancient Skeletons Found
NEWS FEEDS    After installing a news reader, click on this icon to download National Geographic News's XML/RSS feed. After installing a news reader, click on this icon to download National Geographic News's XML/RSS feed.

Get our news delivered directly to your desktop—free.
How to Use XML or RSS




 

50 Drives of a Lifetime

National Geographic Traveler has scoured the globe for the world's most beautiful, interesting, and off-beat road trips. Dive in to get drive directions, quizzes, photos, and more.