1973
Female
47 Years Old
Mae Taeng Trekking Camp
17-Oct-20
HomNuan/Auengkham
During the COVID crisis, many sad stories emerged about elephants and the people who must care for them. When no income became their everyday reality, the burden on the owner was often too great as they had to provide 300-400 kilograms of food each and every day.
Almost daily we received phone calls from elephant owners asking us to rescue their elephant. Within three months, owners of over one hundred elephants asked us to save their elephant from this difficult situation. Many elephants were sold, changing from one harsh hand to another. Often the owners didn’t want to sell but felt that there was no alternative.
Rattana Kham came to us for another reason. She was injured. During COVID, as is the case in so many camps, she had no job and was chained for many months with other elephants. Boredom and frustration fostered aggression, and elephants were at greater risk of harm. Rattana Kham was on a short chain and could not escape when injured by a bull elephant at the tourist camp where she was formerly working.,
Rattana Kham is one of the lucky ones. She was helped by Pra Arjarn Moche, who provided the donation allowing her freedom, and by Warattada “Meow” Pattarodom who organised funds for her shelter so she could be cared for in the sanctuary of Elephant Nature Park for the rest of her life.
Located near Elephant Nature Park, her 4.5 KM walk which took 4 hours was a quite a journey to freedom in itself. It was the first time she didn’t have a chain around her neck or ankle. Shortly into the walk, Lek, Meow and the ENP team noticed something very wrong in her gait and movements – walking so so slowly and stopping only after three to five steps. She was also famished and foraging on everything in her path, even foliage elephants don’t normally eat. It was thought that she had injuries to her back legs. After x-rays, the vet determined that she had a broken bone in her left front leg, a broken foot bone, and damaged soles of her feet. It was no wonder that it was painful for her to walk, especially on the rocks and uneven terrain. This is the result of years of mistreatment and being forced to stand on concrete.
Since her rescue on October 18, 2020, our vet has provided calcium and Vitamin D on a daily basis, and her bones and feet are healing well. During her first night at Elephant Nature Park she was accepted by new friends, Aeung Kham and Hom Nuan, both also rescued thanks to Meow.
Rattana Kham loves playing in the river, taking mud baths, and talking to her friends. She is quite possessive about her food, so her friends leave her to eat alone. Her days of sadness are over. Becoming an elephant again is her journey.
Warunee was born around 1959. Her life followed the tragic path of so many captive elephant before her. She was separated from her mother at a very young age and trained to work in the hauling logs in the forest. Warunee was then moved to the elephant trekking camp providing rides day in, day out with no rest. In June 2015, Warunee was rescued from the elephant trekking camp in Kanchanaburi and came to Elephant Nature Park. She quickly settled into her new life, retired from work and able to socialize with her own kind. Warunee has developed many strong bonds within the Kham La herd and her best friend is Dao Ruang.
Mae Baitoey (แม่ใบเตย) was born around 1976. She spent most of her life working in the trekking industry, catering to tourists who desired to ride her. During her time at the trekking camp in Kanchanburi, the owners also exploited her for forced breeding. In 2011, she gave birth to a baby girl named Kham La. Despite the profound bond between mother and baby, they were forcibly separated, and the owner subjected Kham La to cruel training for performing in an elephant show. Fortunately, we were able to rescue Kham La and reunite her with her mother, Baitoey, bringing them both to Elephant Nature Park for a fresh start.
Chang Yim was born at Elephant Nature Park on July 12, 2009. His name means Smiling Elephant. His mother is Dok Ngern and he has a little sister named Dok Mai. He is the second baby ever to be born and conceived at Elephant Nature Park from resident elephants. Chang Yim has not had his spirit broken and is trained using positive reinforcement target training so that we can perform any medical or husbandry care necessary. Chang Yim is a very lucky bull elephant as he will never have to do any kind of work. We hope that in the future we will be able to release him into a semi-wild forested area where he can reach his full potential.
Hope was born in August 2000. Hope’s mother was a trekking elephant who was forced to stop working due to illness. Hope and his mother were moving to stay in forest near the owner’s home in the hope that the return to her natural environment would aid her recovery. Sadly, this was not the case and she died. Hope was weak and needed special care. His owner could not afford to buy the milk formula needed to sustain him at such a young age. They contacted our founder, Lek, and asked if she would take care of him.
He was rescued at 18 months old. His mother was allowed to stay with him at Elephant Nature Park for one year, so he could continue nursing. Sadly, they did not want to let go of Mae Boon Na and she was eventually taken back to work. Jungle Boy, or otherwise and now known as Thong Suk, acquired a few nannies in his early years, but as he grew older he developed a more serious interest in the females. He is the father of both Dok Mai and Yindee.