Story update - One day old baby elephant settling in 22 Oct 07 - By Lek Chailert   Update on the arrival of a new born elephant and traumatized mother.

 

Day 2 Early morning after we have the clear light , we found that the baby was injured more than we had first though. So many wounds. She was injured from falling down a foothill immediately after birth.  Both back leg had big cuts, one toe nail was cracked and badly infected. We found two pieces of wood inside her vagina and we cleaned out the infected areas which was full with puss. Her belly button is still bleeding. We found more from the other mahout in the same trekking camp that the mother had given birth Two days before they will bring to our park, and not one day as they had previously told us.  We checked inside the infants mouth; her tongue was dark from broken blood vessels  (Asphyxia ) that block of oxygen when she first born. Her condition was similar to down syndrome This could also have caused brain damage and this may be one reason why she can not stand up.  She keeps trying to stand up but all her body shakes and she has no balance. The vet gave her a 20% chance of survival.

Volunteers deserve special thanks for their hard work and selfless help in keeping crucial 24 watches over these two elephants. Lek

She starts to show hunger and drank lots of milk which shows a strong will to live. We put the mother in the same area of us but she just stands with no feeling , she will wake and shake some time when she hear her baby screaming when she need milk. We gave a lots of food, banana, water melon, sweet corn but she refused our offer. She looks so depressed. Every time she saw the owner and her mahout come near by she puts her head down and she is so scared. We decided to take her out to walk in the field with our mahout hoping to use natural therapy to ease her stress.

For the baby, we provide rice milk and our mahout Jesu (Thong Jan mahout come to stay with the our volunteer all night trying to squeeze the milk out from the mother breast  to put in the bottle for the baby, but it seems not enough as she drinks a los during a day.

When we are busy taking care of the baby we notice an old grandmother elephant walking repeatedly around the shelter. She is trying to reach her trunk to touch the two newcomers. The grandmothers name is Mae Geaw which is our donor has rescued from a trekking camp last year. She was sold because she was too old to work and could not transport tourists any more. Some how one of our mahout remember that she came from the same place of the Mother and baby elephant and they must know each other. We allow Mae Geaw to stay closed to the pen and let her touch the mother elephant with her exploring trunk.

In the afternoon the two Karen men arrived at the park. They are the owners of the mother and baby elephants. The trekking camp owner called them about the baby elephant. When they arrive then they saw Mae Geaw, she has the word ( R ) burned  Mark on her rump. The Karen  man told us that Mae Geaw was his elephant and she was the mother of Mae Noi and she is  the grand mother of this baby elephant. Mae Noi was her baby number  4, they came to work at the trekking camp together until last year when we rescued Mae Geaw .

Today they have come to meet each other again , Mae Geaw remembers her daughter, but it seems Mae Noi didn’t show any feeling towards her mother. She just stand in the corner of the shelter and trembles with fear. Mae Geaw trys to touch and comfort her own baby, but the fears persist. Some time Mae Geaw caresses the baby with her trunk and she stays in the shelter with the mother and baby,

We don't know why the mother elephant who aged only 20 looks so tired. She is nervous, withdrawn and fearful all the time. We hope Mae Geaw will help us to heal her daughter from whatever has caused such trauma. We now try our best to save the baby and heal the mother, make her feel proud to be an elephant again.

Day 3

The baby doesn’t sleep much, drinking milk and trying to lift her head up. She still has high fever from her wounds.  After drinking milk she starts to play, swinging the trunk and kicking out with her small weak legs.

The mother trying to pull the legs and tail of the baby, some times kicking playfully. Some time we carry the baby to show and try to let the baby and mother get closed together, but it seems mother won’t accept her just yet. Some time she shows that she is very afraid of her own baby. Some time she show that she very interested in the baby in front of her. This is her first baby,  We will give time to her. 

Message from Lek - 23 October 2007

Dear All

I would like to give you a news update about the baby elephant. Since yesterday she can now stand by herself has started to walk. First she walked in a circle. The volunteers try to help her to walk straight . After she stand up then she never wants to lay down again. She keep walking and walking. Volunteers stand up and walk beside and hold  her until in the morning. Some times she is too tired to stand up and sleeps leaning against the volunteers legs; she sleeps only a couple of minutes. It seem she is so excited to walk. She stand up and walk until 1130 am today.

1145 after we can see that she walk for a while and volunteers help to support her to stand still. We can see later that she can walk straight and can coordinate all four legs. We decide to move out of the way and let the baby elephant stand by herself and yes she stand by herself  and can walk by herself without falling down, She keeps walking and walking all around her shelter area.

It not miracle, but all from love and care.

I would like to thank all volunteers who stay with us between 15 - 23 October. Your work was wonderful. I would like to thank for your sleepless nights and dedication. Staying with the baby around the clock, thanks for your hard work. Many times I saw you get blue and get hurt when the baby kicked you. The words in this message are not enough to say thanks to all of you. You made it happened . You have made this sick baby walk for the first time and should all be proud.  Thanks for all your love and care to the baby elephant whom now has a much better chance of survival.

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