Jittery jumbo mars Ave’s grand entrance

At a project-launching ceremony held in Jakarta recently, Post and Telecommunications Minister Joop Ave was in his element.

But not so the elephant on which he sat, having shunned the ministerial car to arrive at the function on the beast.

The elephant appeared to be rather flustered by the event, and it was no fault of Mr Ave’s.

Said the elephant’s trainer: “It is one of the most intelligent elephants around. But it was not used to seeing so many people. It was stressed out.”

The trainer later calmed the animal down and it performed antics for photographers.