From the very beginning of our trip, Tim and I have had a little tradition whenever we arrive in a new country. It's a simple tradition, but it never fails to make me smile. Every time we've begun the next step of our trip in another country, Tim will whisper in my ear, "Welcome to ______."

The adults stop laughing and smiling. The children stop talking and playing. Where moments before there was joy, now there is this sudden, unexpected sadness. And shame.

The pickup truck rumbles over the stream of rubble that passes for a road, and we splash full-on into the river. With a bit of wheezing and complaining, the engine holds out and we push on across to the other side. It's official now: we've crossed the border. Illegally.

Abuse is somewhat endemic in the world of the working elephant, but in Jokia's case that abuse was taken to the extreme. It only begins with the scars she has all over her body, with the large hole that was torn into her left ear by someone weilding a metal hook. It culminates with her pregnancy, and the tragedy that followed.

There are many stories we are looking forward to sharing from our time at Elephant Nature Park. But before we get to our stories, we thought you might enjoy some pictures of our gentle giant friends. So, without further ado, I present to you 14 of our favorite elephant pictures.