Jam Jam

Formerly named Ratee (which means "dark night") was brought Surin to Elephant Nature Park. Ratee [age 35] was injured during a breeding program when her owner took her in Southern Thailand some four months ago. Ratee received injuries on her hind quarters, especially her left hip and knee, and generally all around her body including many wounds from hooks and knives. Her last mahout said that 3 months ago, after her injuries, she could not walk or even lift her legs. Both rear legs would drag as she walked, and several times she fell over. Even now her legs drag somewhat. Her left eye is totally damaged and blind, while her right eye has about 60 percent reduced vision.

She has serious mental issues, evidenced by moaning, a blank stare, continuous drooling, a listless trunk, and constant swaying; she panics easily and cowers fearfully at everything around her, including approaching elephants. She endured an arduous 22 hour journey from Surin. Now she is resting and recuperating at the Park where she will have the best care that we can provide to her. 

March 2010 She has been with us for some time though she never slept properly for years and collapsed with exhaustion. She slept for 14 hours which is unusual as elephants normally only take a few hours kip. We hoisted up her up and we so worried as she offered us no co-operation. She was in deep sleep and not moving, her trunk was down as she lay there limp. Earlier she had acted very strangely and sprayed wet sand with her trunk.

Ratee was the name given to her by her former owners. We had called this name out to her in an effort to get her to stand up. What we found was that her name made her afraid, it was full of connotations of the abuse she had suffered. A name change was what was needed; so we changed it to signify a new life. She is now called Jam Jam. With her new name came a new attitude and she soon found elephant friends and companions.

*** Jam Jam, or Ratee passed away on 23 March 2010 ***

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