| Also In this issue:
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Jungle Boy & Hope at play in the mud bath
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| As some of you may already know, Lek has added
Mae Tong Bai and Mae Mai to the herd. What you may not already know is, the
purple elephant "Mae Khum Sai " has also successfully returned. After spending
6 months at the elephant hospital, Khum Sai’s skin condition has cleared up
nicely since she was last at the park. Thanks to Connie Speight from the Elephant Umbrella
Fund, Santa Barbara USA, who rescued her and released her from the work and put
her into our care.
She no longer needs to be coated with gentian violet, and as can be seen in her photo below, she’s not really purple any
longer at all. However, the old nick name seems to be sticking. More
details on the Purple Elephant will have to wait for the next issue.
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Well we do have 32 dogs and 11 cats here at Elephant Nature Park, so keeping
them all content can be quite the task. Thanks to Michelle and all of you who
have given her a hand. Since the new-year we have had several additions as well
as losses. The animals staying over at Michelle & Karl’s end of the park are
able to live in peace, however those at the main hut structure are constantly in
conflict. Common guys, can’t you play nice?
Buller
Back in March we had a cute little puppy
mysteriously appear at the park. After some debate over the name, which did
stand as "Number 32" for a few days (hello Kelli and Greg!), he was eventually
named Buller (Boo-la). This is a Danish name given to dogs who are particularly
playful yet equally handsome, and is quite fitting in this case. As to his
mysterious origins, while Buller grows he is looking more and more like our old
friend Lucky.
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ET - Rest in Peace
Perhaps the saddest news printed here is the fate of our beloved ET. The fat
little pooch that everyone seemed to take to, and who was filled with so much
character has passed away. Her demise was food related: chicken bones. In
response, Lek has called for a ban on any chicken with bones from entering the
park kitchen, however it’s not likely a rule that will be strictly enforced. ET
now rests beside Gizmo’s garden
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Sanook
Little Sanook was picked up off the road "literally" by Lek 7 months ago. She was
looked after in the Chiang Mai Gem Travel office until about a month ago, when
Lek felt she was strong enough to come stay at the park. It didn’t take long
for Sanook to start running around and playing with the others; jumping over
them, chewing ears, and nipping tails.
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Gizmo - Rest in Peace
She had a good 19 years, and Gizmo will be missed by many. Gizmo has been buried
behind the diner area, in what is now a garden that Lek built in her memory.
Gizmo’s garden
& Resting place -> |
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Karl is Mahout of the month
for this issue. Always going above and beyond expectations, Karl shows
diligence, patience, and exceptional care. Max, Karl’s elephant, gets daily
supervised grasping across the river and his health is steadily improving. This title is awarded to the mahout who takes the best care of his
elephant, providing them with ample food and attention. This mahout
also goes beyond the call of duty, helping with other elephants if needed
and helping with other tasks around the park, often without being asked.
The chosen mahout of the month receives a pay bonus for his hard work, which
we hope will inspire others to try for the title. |
Sincere Thanks to the Following Sponsors:
- Overseas Pharmaceutical Aid for Life (OPAL) has
donated a large (6kg) carton filled with 16 medical items for Elephant Nature Park to use on Jumbo Express. Thanks also to Mr. Roy Fudge for coordinating the
exchange.
- Bayer Australia has donated 200 dog worm and 20 cat worm
tablets. Thank you Miss Leah Morgan for bringing us these
- Pfizer Australia has donated de-worming squares and suspension
liquid.
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The Rain is Back Again !
The rains are back, and wow " what a
change they make to the landscape! All the hills are getting lush and green
again and things are growing all over the park. What were dusty fields back in
February are now bursting with corn and elephant grass. More food for elephants!
On May 17th Siam was seen face down in the mud. She fell down and could not get up again, with her face
in the mud and her two front legs stuck under her body. The crane arrived and
after some effort she was lifted up and placed under one of the shelters. There
she has been ever since, supported by a chain and harness under her belly.
| Many
vets have come and gone, and there have been several diagnoses. The first vet
to arrive placed her on an IV drip, and she was given 15 bags of IV fluid while
she was still lying down. She has also been given many doses of antibiotics, to
treat her chronic feet infections. The first vet team gave her a 50% chance of
survival, then left and never came back. After the IV, she has been having terrible
swelling in her legs, belly, and vagina.
Lek has been treating
the swelling with traditional herbal medicines and by applying
anti-inflammation creams. Siam’s treatment is costing Lek over 8000 Baht per
day. |
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Siam is starting to look
better. The swelling in her legs has gone away, and in other areas it is
improving. She has been eating lots, but still is not drinking enough water. We
have erected a new frame to support all of her weight, and it will be outfitted
with an industrial pulley. This we hope can be used to raise and lower her
body. Once we can do this, then she can be allowed her to fully lie down, we’ll
use the pulley system to get her back up again. She has not been able to lie
down through this whole ordeal, and therefore hasn’t gotten any proper sleep. <- Poor exhausted Siam leans on her support frame |
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Lek’s dream of hosting a fully equipped elephant hospital at the park is a big step closer to
becoming a reality. Thanks to EleAid Charity, UK for donating the funds and
enthusiasm to design and build the new Medical Centre.
Construction began mid March, and in early June the workers declared their work was finished. Lek has prudently awaited the review of the project engineer before
awarding them the final payment. We may now pronounce the Medical Centre complete.
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Elephant Nature Park now has
the basic facilities needed to start an Elephant hospital. The blueprints were
made by a professional engineering team, and construction proceeded with
quality materials. EleAid has built this place to last. Now we need only to
fill it with medical equipment, supplies, and a qualified vet. Lek hopes to be
giving out free treatment to needy elephants by the end of the year.
5 new elephants rescued since January 2005 !!
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On 30th
January 2005 the park welcomed an old retired female named Mae Tong Bai,
meaning Golden Leaf. Originally from a logging camp along the Burmese border,
Mae Tong Bai has seen many owners and worked many jobs around Thailand. Her fate was like those of many Thai elephants: passed from owner to owner, each
seeking more profit. From street begging in Issan Province, to logging in
Krabi, finally she settled in the Chiang Rai region of northern Thailand for 14 years of trekking with some logging on the side. It was there that she
suffered her big accident. |
After a full day’s work of hauling tourists, she was handcuffed and left in the jungle for the night.
Being the rainy season, it was quite muddy and slippery, and Mae Tong Bai fell
down a mountain slope. Her owner found her in the morning, lying in the mud
with mis-located back hips. As she was no longer any use to the owner, he
contacted Elephant Nature Park looking to sell.
With help from Bert Von Roemer at the Serengeti Foundation, USA, Lek was able to find the money to buy her. Linda
Reifschnieder from Louisiana USA has offered provide medication for life. Mae
Tong Bai came here in bad condition, but with lots of love and care she has
made a huge recovery already.
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Mae Mai
Late December of last year Lek was contacted by a Karen man in Pai, who had recently bought a logging elephant
from the Burmese border. He wanted to start his elephant to work for tourist
trekking, but she was in horrible condition and refused to eat or work.
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| Lek took a group of volunteers on Jumbo Express up to Pai to see the poor elephant and treat her
injuries, not knowing if she was for sale. She was covered with infections:
legs, face, everywhere. Volunteer Roy Fudge from Adelaide Australia offered to provide the cash to save her. Lek negotiated the transaction right
there, with the volunteers and Mae Mai looking on. She gave the deposit,
declared the elephant as belonging at the park, and forbade the man to put her to work
any longer. When she turned back she was surprised to see every one of the team
in tears. Then she looked to Mae Mai, who also had tears
streaming down her face, and Lek too began to cry. |
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Mae Mai is now doing well at the park, and has settled in nicely since her Jan 25th arrival. She has
recovered from most of her injuries, is eating well, and will be spared from
work for the rest of her life.
Pupa
Pupa came to us on January 15th 2005 from one of the trekking camps up the
road. His mahout just walked him down to the park and asked Lek for help with
his elephant. He had obviously heard about the project from word of mouth
through other mahouts.
| Pupa needed a rest from trekking and performing tricks for
tips. Even with diarrhea, they kept
sending him up the trails with tourists on his back. Unfortunately Pupa is only
with us for a limited time; Lek has been leasing him and his owner won’t sell.
A 19 year old bull, Pupa is
still filled with boyish energy and mischief. Being very approachable and
friendly, he’s an instant favorite for most park visitors. His favorite trick is
holding his trunk over his head and waiting for his tongue to be rubbed. When
they all go down for a bath, it is often Pupa who starts off the wrestling and
playing amongst the youngsters. He has especially bonded with Hope, but Jungle
Boy is just as likely a playmate. Sometimes play wont end until one of the
babies’ foster mothers chases Pupa off. |
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| Many of the cows at the park have
been chasing Pupa off, but for another reason. Being a suitable young male, Lek
suspected he might try and mate with one of the cows. Pupa had quite the
reputation around the other camps about his way with the ladies. However, none
of the cows from Elephant Nature Park are showing him the slightest interest.
Perhaps they’ve all got their eye on Max?
The lads at play - > |
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Mae Elu
Mae Elu (left) with her
nephew Pupa |
When the owner of Pupa made the trip down
to the park, Mae Elu’s owner came along for the walk. She is a 48 year old cow
who has worked in both logging and trekking. She is Pupa’s aunty and keeping the
two together seemed natural. Like most of our elephants, she was also in very
bad condition upon arrival, and her owner thought she too needed a rest. A happy chapter in Mae Elu’s life has been
made even more special, as some of her old friends are living right here at the
park. Mae Khum Sai and Mae Boon Ma both arrived here through different means,
yet Lek has discovered that they and Mae Elu all share a common history. These
3 elephants were all originally owned by the same Karen family. They would have
played together as babies, gone through the horrible training together, grew up
together, but then were torn apart by fate when sold to different owners.
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At first the three were hesitant to
reacquaint themselves; perhaps a bit shy. It took a couple weeks, but now they
have formed into a new family group, along with Jungle Boy’s family and of
course Pupa. It’s like we’ve got a family reunion at the park. This group of 9
now comprises the biggest family group at the park, with Mae Boon Ma as their
leader.
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