I have concentrated on economic issues for many weeks. Today, I would prefer to write a non-economic story about nature that I encountered recently, an occasion that deserves praise.
Last Monday, I had a chance to visit the Elephant Reintroduction Foundation's camp at Ban Hua Thung in Lampang's Hang Chat district. There, I witnessed the way that elephants are being trained to live in the wild, eating the plants available to them in the forest. Feeding by humans is not allowed. These elephants were domesticated or had worked with teak logs in the past, but the foundation bought them from their owners with the intention of returning them to their natural habitat. But before any elephant can be returned, it needs to be trained so that it can adapt itself to life in the wild. In the past, some elephants that were returned into the deep forest after having been domesticated were unable to survive in the wild and thus died. The Elephant Reintroduction Foundation, therefore, set up its camp with a sizeable forested area as a place for elephants to learn how to live in the wild before actually returning them to nature.
On the day that I visited the camp, two new elephants had just been brought in; one is about eight-years-old and the other four. I saw them trying to feed themselves, using their trunks to pull up grass and young plants into their mouths. In an area nearby, I saw a small swamp that the elephants could use for washing or to play in the mud. A new elephant is assigned a mahout as a mentor who not only trains them to live in the wild, but also takes care of their health problems. An elephant used to living in the city could fall ill when brought to live in nature because of a change in its diet. Also, they might be injured in other ways. Once an elephant gets sick or injured, officers at the camp will contact the veterinarian at the elephant hospital located nearby in Hang Chat to take care of that elephant. These physical health concerns are another reason why elephants are required to stay at the camp during this transitional period.
I was told that it normally takes three to six months before the elephant can adapt to a new way of life. During that time the elephant will try to find a partner. This does not mean someone of the opposite gender, but rather another elephant that can be a real companion. A young elephant would turn to an elderly female for comfort. Whenever a young newcomer is brought in, the remaining elderly females are brought in to get acquainted with the new arrival. If they happen to like each other, they then live together as mother and child. This partnership is very useful for their life in the wild. If the camp can return them into the wild together, they can help each other and will not feel lonely. Sometimes, they can gather in a herd of more than two, which is even better.
I also saw a lovely pairing: a nine-year-old male and a 32-year-old female that have been living in the camp for many months and are now ready to be returned to their natural habitat. They met at the camp and the mother and child relationship developed. While the young one was feeding himself and greeting my family and I, the older one stood behind quietly at a safe distance like a mother standing by to protect her child, if needed, and waiting to bring him back home after the child finishes his leisure activities. The maternal bond was obvious to all of us there. During that time, I also noticed that the young one got affectionately close to a camp staff member. I was told that the man is a mahout who had taken care of that young elephant until it adapted to the natural habitat and found an elderly partner. The young elephant remembered his babysitter so he leisurely approached and snuggled. This reflects another type of pure companionship that is difficult to find in the big cities so full of materialistic civilisation.
Subin, the chief of the camp, explained to me that the perimeter of the natural habitat used as a training ground for the elephants was surrounded by an electric fence to prevent their escape into the woods before they are healthy enough to survive and live in the wild. A normal fence would not be strong enough, so they have had to resort to an electric fence. However, they are careful enough to keep the voltage at a level at which it will do the animals no harm. The reason I mention the fence is to point out that this electric fence was not imported, but rather constructed by the camp's staff applying local wisdom. They use solar cells connected to a battery to generate electricity for the wire fence and the cell is placed on the thatch roof of a small cottage covering the battery unit. A discussion with Subin reveals his passion for the elephants and his love for nature. He is glad to be a part of this programme and to have a chance to bring the elephants back into their real home, the forest.
The person who drove me to the camp was a lady named Jimmy. She was born in Lamphun and works at the Chiang Mai branch of the foundation. Despite her being tiny, she is capable of driving a big four-wheel-drive pickup agilelythrough a remote area to the camp. She has to drive from a city office to the camp at least twice a week to deliver supplies and also carry cash for the staff's monthly salaries. The passage to the camp is very rough and quite deep into the forest but she covers it with enthusiasm.
One key person who deserves to be mentioned here is the man who has devoted himself to the operations of the Elephant Reintroduction Foundation. He helped originate various activities and is one of the principle people who acquire elephants from cities. He established the camp and now raises funds and solicits donors to sponsor the purchase of the elephants for it. He is Sivaporn Dardarananda, who was once CEO of finance and securities company Tisco. After resigning, he developed an interest in and a compassion for the lives of elephants, and for the past four-to-five years he has been volunteering full time for the foundation. In the past four years, 46 domesticated elephants have been acquired for the purpose of returning them to their natural habitat. He intends to reintroduce up to 81 elephants as a tribute to His Majesty the King on the auspicious occasion of his 80th birthday. At this moment, Sivaporn is speeding up the acquisition of elephants as well as soliciting more donors. I wholeheartedly wish him every success in due course.
Elephants are ethical animals, second only to human beings in this regard. Returning as many domesticated elephants as this to their natural habitat will not only be considered a great act of mercy but will also help rehabilitate the wildlife population and contribute to the better balance of nature. This will prove to the world that we, Thais, do care and are capable of conserving the forest as well as preserving our wild life in a sustainable manner.
This effort truly deserves praise.
Until next Monday.
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