Flashback Friday 1 September 2023: WanMai’s life Before & After Rescue
WanMai, which means ‘new day’, was born at ChokChai elephant camp on 2 May 2020. WanMai and her mother, Mae Mai, were living in pitiful conditions. Mae Mai was kept on a short chain in a tiny concrete pen without adequate space to care for her newborn baby.
The Save Elephant Foundation team saw the terrible conditions that the mother and her newborn were being kept in and immediately started to negotiate their release to Elephant Nature Park. The owner of the riding camp eventually agreed for us to rescue WanMai and Mae Mai, on the understanding that we could provide a better life for them at our sanctuary.
On 7 June 2020, at just five weeks old, WanMai and her mother were transported by truck to the sanctuary of ENP to begin their new life where they would come to know love and kindness. Since arriving at Elephant Nature Park, many of our older resident elephants have approached WanMai and Mae Mai, trying their best to befriend the mother and become nanny of the little girl. Eventually, Mae Mai welcomed our beautiful gentle giant, Sri Nuan, into her company.
Now, WanMai, MaeMai, and Sri Nuan are inseparable, with mother and nanny sharing the responsibilities of caring for the sweet but mischievous WanMai. We are so happy to have been able to rescue WanMai at such a young age (thanks to the generosity of Noelle), knowing that she will be able to thrive in her new home and never be sold away from her family into the working camps.
To learn more about this family and how you can support them, please visit the link below:
