Giants of the Monsoon Forest by Jacob Shell

Geographer Jacob Shell delves deeply into the study of Asian elephants, largely to examine the longstanding human-elephant relationship that has existed over hundreds of years in southeast Asia.  While he gathered information from many historical texts on elephants, he also ventured deep into the remote forests of Burma, India and other countries to meet mahouts (riders) and their elephants.  In doing so, he created a wide-ranging commentary on animal behavior, geopolitics, history, wars, ethnic groups, and conservation.

The book is divided into thematic chapters covering the uses of elephants for logging, transportation, and war along with being pack animals for gems and military materiel. It shows that in the best circumstances (most often seen in the regions in Burma and India), there is a symbiotic relationship that is profiting the human “employers” while protecting elephants’ survival. 

Once trained, elephants have an eight-hour work day, then they are released into the surrounding forest to forage, to be with other elephants, and to mate.  Because humans move these working animals through areas where they might not go without assistance (for example, through populated areas), it allows elephants to mate with a wide group of wild elephants and keep a strong stock. 

Elephants’ intelligence is undeniable, and it is seen time and again through stories about their ability to problem solve, to make daring rescues, and to remember things from the distant past.  In addition, they also show tremendous compassion and understanding, as evidenced in numerous accounts from World War II, where—unbidden—elephants carried their deceased mahouts dozens of miles back to the mahouts’ homes.  It is these kinds of stories of animal behavior that are of most interest to me and which I could have read more about. 

Shell concludes with a chapter on the future of elephants, which he considers bleak.  Mahouts, and their understanding of elephants, could play a strong role in this future, but they are often left out of discussions on this topic as they are constrained by their animal charges in the forests. 

An excellent index makes this extremely valuable to researchers, as this book is aimed primarily at specialists rather than general readers.  There is so much to absorb, and the unfamiliar geography and language made it a more difficult read for me, who’s not as familiar with Asian history outside of China.  Still, there are fascinating chapters to read, and the research in the book is remarkable for its scope.  Readers who are interested in a particular topic, such as the use of elephants during the Vietnam War, could easily turn to that section and get a great account. 

General readers who want to know more about elephants and their behavior could start with Lawrence Anthony's The Elephant Whisperer: My Life with the Herd in the African Wild, although author Shell does point out the vast differences between these two species of elephants. 

Thanks to W.W. Norton and NetGalley for an advanced copy.  This will be published on June 11.