Photos: Classical music soothes ageing elephants at Thai sanctuary

Almost 80 percent of about 3,000 elephants at tourist venues in Thailand, Cambodia, India, Laos, Nepal and Sri Lanka, endure poor living conditions and diets and are overworked, according to the animal welfare group World Animal Protection. The animals at Elephants World, a retirement sanctuary for elephants in the western Thai province of Kanchanaburi get good food and treatment for their physical ailments, but an extra, special treat they appear to love are the regular piano music sessions that British classical pianist Paul Barton holds for them.

Updated on: Dec 15, 2018 10:22 AM IST

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Paul Barton plays piano for sick, abused, retired and rescued elephants in a sanctuary in Kanchanaburi province, Thailand. Lam Duan, a 65-year-old, blind Thai elephant was enjoying her lunch, listening to Silent Night being played on a piano. (Soe Zeya Tun / REUTERS)

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Elephants eat their breakfast as they listen to Barton play. For eight years, pachyderms like Lam Duan - old, overworked and sometimes disabled - have been rehabilitated with music at Elephants World, a retirement sanctuary for the animals in the western Thai province. (Soe Zeya Tun / REUTERS)

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Several times a week, British classical pianist Paul Barton, 57, sets up a piano against a backdrop of forested slopes and plays for his four-legged friends. (Soe Zeya Tun / REUTERS)

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Almost 80% of about 3,000 elephants at tourist venues in Thailand, Cambodia, India, Laos, Nepal and Sri Lanka, endure poor living conditions and diets, and are overworked, according to the animal welfare group World Animal Protection. At Elephants World, they get good food and treatment for their physical ailments, but the music is an extra, special treat they appear to love. (Soe Zeya Tun / REUTERS)

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Barton is joined on the piano by his four-year-old daughter Emily. “Maybe some of these blind elephants get a little bit of comfort from hearing pieces of soothing classical music occasionally,” said Barton, who studied at London’s Royal Academy of Arts. (Soe Zeya Tun / REUTERS)

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Elephants eat their breakfast as they listen to Paul Barton plays. Lam Duan approached Barton as he began to play and she appeared to calm down and focus on the music. (Soe Zeya Tun / REUTERS)

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At another music session, several elephants seemed to move their heads and move about in front of the piano as the notes flowed. (Soe Zeya Tun / REUTERS)

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A woman hugs a blind elephant at Elephant World. The owner of the sanctuary, Samart Prasithpol, 44, said the music seemed to provide the elephants with some special comfort. (Soe Zeya Tun / REUTERS)

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Emily Barton surrounded by the residents of Elephant World before a session by her father. “We work here to rehabilitate the elephants physically,” Samart told Reuters. “The use of music has been useful in rehabilitating their soul,” he said. (Soe Zeya Tun / REUTERS)