Save Elephant Foundation Elephant Rescue – SookSai
After a long truck ride from the Surin province, on January 17th a very worn out fifty year old elephant stepped off the truck at ENP, yet unaware that her well deserved retirement had finally begun. SookSai can be translated into ‘pure happiness’.
Originally from Mae Sariang and Karen hill tribe owners, SookSai has been moved all around Thailand and has passed from owner to owner about 15 times.
She began her working life in legal and illegal logging. SookSai eventually ended up in the south of Thailand working as a trekking elephant.
Four years ago (2011) she lost her footing going up a hill and broke her ankle. She was in recovery for one and a half years, after which she was forced to resume trekking, even though her ankle did not heal properly and buckled under her weight causing her to walk on the side of her foot. As a result, she limped. Tourists who she carried complained about the unstable, wobbly ride.
Because of the complaints, her trekking days ended. But her working days did not.
Next, she became a street begging elephant. This was also short lived because people DID complain about her injured foot and walking on the hard concrete. The mahout did not enjoy being criticized all the time so he took her back home.
Sadly, SookSai’s days of exploitation and abuse were far from over…
As is the norm for many a female elephant who have a break which prohibits them from working, she was put in a ‘forced breeding program’. There are many methods of forced breeding – and it happens all around the world, not just in Thailand.
Baby elephants are a valuable commodity, one which handicapped females can produce for their owners when other means of employment are not an option. BUT – quite often the stress of the injury and the long recovery causes the female’s estrous cycle to fall dormant. Sadly, determined owners will often disregard this possibility, instead choosing to force their elephant to withstand multiple mating incidents over a course of days, weeks and sometimes months.
Like so many other elephants, SookSai did not become pregnant. Her owner became frustrated and mostly abandoned her. She stood chained to a tree with barely any room to move, a wall of her own dung slowly rising around her. She often went without food and water because of her owner’s lack of interest in her.Thankfully, she was brought to our attention and her life of solitary sadness could come to an end.
A rescue plan was put in place and with tremendous support from the global community, Save Elephant Foundation were able to rescue SookSai.
This would not have been possible without the generous donations from the many people who helped fund this rescue. Two of the biggest donors hail from New Zealand and held fundraising campaigns – none other than 13 year old Jack Lanting and his mom, Viv. Jack has been raising awareness for elephants since he was 9 years old!
Another Kiwi, Tracy Hand connected with Viv and Jack and they worked together to come up with more than half of the funds needed for SookSai.
A big thanks also goes out to the International School of Bangkok, NIST (New International School of Thailand) and AB Lucas School of Canada for funds donated.
