Photo courtesy of Elephant Nature Park and Save Elephant Foundation.
At our fundraising events with Lek Chailert in April, we raised $100,000 to support Lek’s efforts to rescue abused elephants. With these funds, Lek Chailert and Save Elephant Foundation were able to rescue blind elephant Mee Boon and bring her to her new home at Elephant Nature Park. Below is her story, which they shared on the Elephant Nature Park facebook page, and the words and images documenting the rescue below are theirs. Thank you so much for your support, we could not have done this without you.
“A couple of months ago I heard the story of a blind elephant working in a tourist camp. I went to visit her to assess her physical status and living conditions. Mee Boon had been in this camp for about five years. Prior to this, she worked in logging camps. It was then that she lost sight in her left eye from an unknown injury.
Her last owner said that Mee Boon could still see with her right eye when she was bought, but a few months later her right eye also lost vision. It became difficult for Mee Boon to walk around. She walked slowly and was quite afraid. She was no longer good for their business because the area where they worked was mountainous terrain, and the elephant must be able to walk up and down steep hills and go to the creek and a water fall. Mee Boon could no longer do that. So, for years, she just stood in the same small place, doing nothing.
They announced recently that they were wanting someone to help her out from their place.
I would like to thank Allene Lapides from Santa Fe, New Mexico, who donated the funds to take Mee Boon out of her suffering. Thanks to the group of Trunks Up Santa Fe, to Singleton Rankin and all her team who have helped to bring a new life to this beautiful girl.
From this day, we are privileged to provide care for Mee Boon. We will find a way for her to join with others, and to know the joy of relaxed living embraced by the deep bonds of friendship with her own kind.”
Photo courtesy of Elephant Nature Park and Save Elephant Foundation.
Photo courtesy of Elephant Nature Park and Save Elephant Foundation.
On the Mee Boon’s journey to Elephant Nature Park, Lek Chailert wrote this:
“Mee Boon is taking a journey to her freedom. To rescue an elephant, to have an elephant get onto a truck can be the most difficult part of the adventure. Many elephants have a terrible memory of being moved from one place of work to the next, often accompanied by further hardship on arrival, as a new owner would assert control. The smell of a truck can incite fear and panic, making loading a challenge. We don’t want our elephants to be distressed or fearful. We take time, and also prepare the truck to be more welcoming, so that the elephant can have some comfort when embarking the truck. We made a jungle truck for Mee Boon, and it took only a couple of minutes for her to readily walk in. We have secured her support rails for transport now and are ready to take her home. ”
Photo courtesy of Elephant Nature Park and Save Elephant Foundation.
Photo courtesy of Elephant Nature Park and Save Elephant Foundation.