Elephant Rides-safe or Not for 21 Month Old?

NO!NO!NO!NO!NO!* if she's afraid of the Mall ride why on earth allow her to ride an enormous animal of that size.Just being honest w/ you. Talk him out of it

I would, as long as I was up there to hold her on my lap. But then, I'm a little more adventurous than some. I've always tried to get my boys to try new things. I don't see anything wrong with it really. It's got to be safer than riding a horse. Elephants move slowly and I'm pretty sure you won't have to worry about being thrown off, or about your baby getting jostled too much like you would with a horse. From what I understand the elephants move at a pretty sedate pace. And just think about the pictures you will be able to show her when she gets older. :)

My son and I rode elephants in Thailand and it was great. He was about the same age as your daughter and was fine with it. You will sit right beside her and it's quite safe. Just relax and go with it...if you're uptight she will be also. My son was a bit wide-eyed in the photos but sat very still and never seemed afraid.

Have fun and have a safe trip.

While at a local fair there were elephant rides. Both my husband and I wanted to ride with our daughter who was about 2 years old at that time. It all seemed very safe and mellow.You and your husband are debating whether to or not. What about waiting to see how your daughter reacts once she sees the elephant and others riding...I thought my daughter would be so enthusiastic, NOT!......

me personally i would take this time and have her ride. Unless the people who own her say it's not safe i would suggest you at LEAST have her set on one for a picture. But me personally i would have her ride. My daughter has ridden horses since she was about 1 1/2 yrs old. As soon as she could set and be held. I think if you are going to go you should take every opportunity you can it's not like you go every day.

I let my two children, then 28 months and 8 months, get on a camel with me when we were in Turkey. The only reason was it was strictly for a photo op and the camel was securely chained and muzzled. An elephant is a whole different issue, of course, but I would say that if you're up there with her and you feel good about the way the handlers are dealing with the elephant then go for it. It is a wild animal, regardless of how they train it, but as long as you feel good in your gut at the moment then it should be perfectly fine. You may want to watch one ride to see how things go before you experience it. Both of you may even be able to ride with your daughter, depending on how they structure the ride.

Good luck!

Certainly not by herself.

I did this when I was in Asia and the elephant decided to sneeze - I had elephant snot all down my leg, I'm not kidding - nasty.
It was an amazing experience though. I would say it depends on the circumstance. If there is a very safe carriage on the elephant that she couldn't fall out of then probably ok. If not skip it, better safe than sorry when it comes to our precious ones.

NO - let's remember - these are elephants in training. And they are wild animals. I wouldn't want to provide my child as a training exercise. I lived near an Elephant Refuge in TN a couple years ago. A trainer lost her life working with the elephants. That proved to me that they are still wild animals. And they are HUGE - so when they decide that they want to do something - they get their way! My husband and I agree on one thing when it comes to our son. If we disagree - we err on the side of caution. And if I feel passionately about a safety issue - he defers to me as he's agreed that I'm our son's primary voice and protector. No one has instincts like a Mother. Go with your instincts. We may not be able to get our husbands to understand our resaons sometimes - but we have to convince them to trust that little voice we all have. My husband has seen too many times when we listened to my instincts and were proven right. He doesn't doubt my little voice anymore. He actually feels like it's the angel on our shoulders.

The only way I would do it is if I were also on the elephant and could hold my toddler....toddlers are too unpredictable at this age and I wouldn't want them to risk falling off the elephant. The elephants move nice and slow but I would be concerned that my toddler could fall off and get trampled. And all animals can be unpredictable too. Better safe than sorry! I have a feeling, though, that if your daughter is afraid of the carousel at the mall, she is not going to want to go anywhere near an elephant anyway...they are so big and look a bit intimidating to adults, let alone kids....so it may not even be an issue!

Yep. Wouldn't think twice about putting my 23 mo up there. Would take lots of photos because I'm sure she wouldn't remember. I'm the adventurous type and I want her to be also.

I would sit on the elephant with a 21 month old if he/she would get on it. I wouldn't let her ride alone. WIth that being said there is no way my 2 year old would sit on an elephant because she would be too scared. My second oldest wouldn't even dream of sitting on a horse at 2. Have fun on your trip.

I thought, well of course not, but then . . ., I thought back and remembered that I put my son, his brother, and my father on an elephant at the old Reston Farm park - for his 2d year birthday!

I know animals are unpredictable and I've never liked the idea of circuses or any of that. Nonetheless, it is a special memory for my Dad and a great photo.

Good luck. And have a great trip. What a great opportunity.

I'd say, follow her lead. She may surprise you and not care a bit about riding up high on an elephant with you, or she may take one look at those huge creatures and freak out. Elephants are gentle, yes, and these will be trained to take riders, but the sheer size of the animal may frighten her no matter how much she's assured the elephant is friendly. So don't force it if she is reluctant. I'd ask your guide if you can agree that once the ride starts, if she does get on, that you and she can get off at any time if she starts to fuss. You'd hate to start off well, have a meltdown "on board" and be told you have to get to the end of a trail etc. before you and she can dismount...One other thought. I bet that on the elephant she might be on a large seat with your arms around her, so probably this wouldn't be an issue, but FYI: I talked once to a dad whose toddler had picked up salmonella from elephant rides at a fair (here in the U.S.). They felt certain, later, that she'd picked it up that way and not elsewhere, and they had a long and tense time getting her diagnosed, treated, etc. It would be hard to keep a 21-month-old's hands away from her face -- they're really fast at touching something, then sticking a finger in their mouths! -- so that's a consideration. Depends on how the training center runs things and what the situation's like, I think. If the place hosts lots of children they may have this issue covered. Have fun and convince your husband to maybe try but not push her.

Hi, Gillian, If your daughter wants to ride the elephant, I would let her. What a great experience! Not that she's likely to remember it forever. I think she is probably safer on an elephant than on a horse. Elephants are smarter and more predictable. Go for it and enjoy the trip! :) N.

I think it would be very safe. Those elephants are slow and very wide. They also use old ones so they are used to people. I would play it by ear. When you get there why not see if other toddlers will be on them too. Also if she freaks out then of course, I wouldnt traumatize her but if you and your husband will be with her I see no reason why. Most of us can only visit other areas out of the country once in a life time, of course unless you are military. Its an experience I wouldn't want her to miss unless she is really afraid. Just an FYI- I have a 13 year old who will not get on ANY ride at amusement parks but she will ride horses and four wheelers.. Makes no sense but that's a girl for ya !

We lived in Asia for awhile... sadly, we are moving. We took our son to Thailand for the second time when he was about 20 - 21 months. The elephant ride was very fun for my husband and me. Be warned... your child may fall asleep and your nap schedule will be messed up. If you go, maybe go during nap time? The elephant moves very slow. It rocks back and forth very gently... we went on the one hour ride in late morning and we could not keep him awake (He fell asleep about 10 minutes into it)... as a result he missed his afternoon nap... blah, blah... cranky, early evening, etc. Have a GREAT time! We love Thailand... the locals love kids and the staff everywhere go out of their way to make sure that your child has what they need and will even play with him/her while you enjoy your dinner, etc.

I would ask your pediatrician to make sure there aren't any weird "elephant diseases" your child could catch. If they give the ok, go for it! I assume that you would be holding her and from what I've seen, the elephants have a carraige on their back that you sit in. Your child may not ever get a chance like this again...let her live a little.

Also, I would consider letting your husband hold her as it seems like you may be very nervous about it. She will definitely pick up on your uneasiness.

Good luck and HAVE FUN!

I agree with Leigh R and the others who said play it by ear. If your child is screaming her head off at the sight of them, waive off. But if she's neutral, I say go for it. (And definitely get pictures!) Personally, I think even an infant would be fine if you're up there with her. One thing you might invest in is a harness type "leash" for her, handy for that age in crowds anyway. Have the handle part looped onto your belt-loop or around your waist (even better) before you put her in it. IF she falls, you're her anchor.

My daughter loved the carousel before she got in the teacup thing with a girl who spun it too hard, now she won't even look at it. She likes to get into the coin rides at the mall, but she won't let me put coins in. On her first pony ride at the Renn Faire when she was almost four, she clung to me, I was practically in the saddle with her. But she went, and she wasn't hysterical. The next two pony rides (out at Clark's Elioak Farm) she went by herself and seems to like it. No, she DOES like it because when she really doesn't like something she lets you know! Riding a living creature is different from riding an unsympathetic machine? [shrug] Maybe.

Oh and one thing it's hard to do is NOT pass on your own likes and dislikes to your kids. I do it with food. How do YOU feel about riding the elephant? If you're ok with it, she might be too.

-S

Elephants are rather large. Will an adult be able to ride with her?

First off...WOW! That sounds like it's going to be an awesome trip. Ok, now that I got that out of my system...I tell you...men are clueless when it comes to the safety of their children (I won't go into my tangent on what happened in FL when we visited my family and I stepped out of the house for less than a half an hour!). I think it would be safe to say to maybe set him/her on top of the elephant with mommy and daddy on top to pose for a PHOTO, but that's about the extent of "riding an elephant". Let daddy ride by himself! :-) You and baby follow behind in a car where it's safe. :-) Have a great time on your trip!

Hi Gillian --

my first response is HOW COOL IS THAT?!?!? But I definitely see your point of view.

I wouldn't let the baby ride it ALONE! of course.

I would also say that my daughter had a better seat for pony rides at 2 than she does now at 3.

By and large, elephants are very social creatures, and surprisingly gentle. You'll be surprised by how sweet these guys are, I bet.

BUT -- if deep down in your gut you feel she's not ready and you don't want to do this THEN STICK TO YOUR GUNS. Always trust your instincts.

I'm just impressed that you're considering international travel with a toddler. All power to ya!

Best of luck, and safe travels ~

Hmmm...let me think....no, no, and no. You should stick with your position. Boys!

Not in this lifetime! No matter what, you cannot put a human's head on an animal's body. They can't reason it out. If she is unhappy and screaming can you imagine if that elephant got spooked? Why would he want to take a chance?

I am all for Dads are the leaders of our homes. However, when it can be a life or death situation and dad is not seeing clearly, it's time for us to step in and protect our little ones. Let's all pray for Dad to receive wisdom concerning this event so that he will be the one making the right decision for his baby girl.

Enjoy your trip and know that most of us would LOVE to travel to such exotic places.

Take Care,
N. :) SAHM homeschooling 3 boys 13, 8 & 2 1/2 yrs old and married to my Mr. Wonderful for 15yrs next month. I love to help moms who want to become SAHMs reach that goal!

I would. I propped my little guy up on ponies, camels, a huge dog, his uncle, let him hold a python, whatever, he's fearless. But I add that I have a good bit of experience with critters, and am not afraid of them myself. I expect he and the critter pick up on my confidence (although some of his confidence is all his own, he also tried to ride his bike down the stairs, something that I would NOT do). If you are scared, she will be scared, and the critter might be bit skittish. If you can overcome it enough to get up with her, go for it, or have your husband set her up. If she's still scared, don't force her... just let her pet the trunk. Remember the elephant who carried the girl safely to a high place before the tsunami in Indonesia. I would imagine a well-trained elephant is far safer than a camel or a horse, being smarter.

i couldnt tell you about the elephant

but it sounds like you are projecting your fears onto her and that is not fair also.

make sure you have hands-on contact at all times and you should be good.

remember the more nervous you are the more she will be. babies are very intuned to you and your emotions.

I would think it would be okay if one of you rode with her. However, personally I had a hard time with my 3 yr old doing it last spring, and he was obviously nervous about it once he was on the elephant. He's always loved riding the carousel. If your daughter is afraid of riding a carousel, putting her on an elephant may be somewhat traumatizing for her.

i would if she was with an adult on the ride. i think everyone i've seen lets multiple riders on at a time. also the the ride itself probably has a hight or age they have to be to ride. they do this for a living they should know better what age is ok. but if she is scared when you get there i wouldnt make her ride.