Report rescue Faa Sai
On Sunday we once again meet with Faa Sai at the elephant festival. She’s still very stressed, pulling at her chains continuously. We have brought some fruit with us and ask the mahouts if they could clean it for her. I’m happy she doesn’t have to join the show today. But even though the festival grounds are at some distance here she still panics from the sound of fireworks and the running and trumpeting of the elephants in the stadium. I try to comfort her, let her eat and get used to us. In my mind we are already in the truck together on our way to the Elephant Nature Park. Lek is still negotiating with the owner. At one moment she says to the owner she’s also busy with another elephant and walks away. Fortunately the owner makes up his mind and calls Lek to accept her bid. It seems going to work!
Monday morning I together with Dr. Prasit went to the village of Faa Sai, with the ambitious plan to take Faa Sai with us that same evening. When we bought free Douk Ngern and Sri Nuan, it took us almost a week to get all the necessary paperwork done. But Dr. Prasit arranges everything within two hours. He is a government veterinarian from a higher rank. The officers are willing to speed up their work for him. One step closer again… Now we first have to go to the market to buy enough food for the long trip ahead of us. The ex-owner thinks there’s already more then enough food, but I’m doubting if it will be sufficient. I decide to buy some more: four bags of bananas, four pumpkins, four bags of watermelons, a bag of cucumbers, six pine-apples, and a bag of cantaloup.The ex-owner grins at me, he thinks I’m overdoing obviously. After we have arranged all financials with the family, the truck is supposed to come. Just another thirty minutes we are told. In the end it takes another six hours for the truck to show up. The driver had been busy all day, he came across a “hitch-hiking” elephant on his way over here, he had to deliver a truckload of rice somewhere, he had to pick up another two elephants in Satuk, but because the truck was overloaded it got stuck, and to make it even worse got out of gasoline. Poor Faa Sai, is still waiting, although she doesn’t have a clue what for. But then finally the truck arrives. We throw in bed of hay, put the food up the roof of the cabin, and I get on the back of the truck myself to comfort Faa Sai by giving her food. A few minutes later we are on our way. We managed it. Faa Sai is free!
Faa Sai is being a big girl during the trip. She eats well and is very curious for us and the surroundings. Every now and then she puts her trunk out of the truck to take a sniff of fresh air. At night it gets chilly. I fall asleep in front of her on a bundle of hay but awake when her trunk sniffs at me. It almost feels like a dream. In the morning Faa Sai is starting to get exhausted. She’s constantly swinging from one side to the other, which makes her muscles to go sour. When we make a halt for a while, she almost falls asleep. But it’s getting warmer already and we definitely want to arrive at the Park before it gets really hot. We throw some water over her, give her some food and water to drink and continue our trip. Just a little while more Faa Sai!
The last hour seems to take as long as three hours. But then we enter through the gate of the Elephant Nature Park followed by camerateams running along. Lek and the volunteers have been waiting for us. Faa Sai is helped off the truck, and her chains are being removed. It looks like she had them on for a long while. We first take her to the river to drink. And Lek has arranged some fruit for her. But she prefers just grazing grass. A real streetelephant. Streetelephants always eat bananas or sugarcane and hardly ever graze themselves. Then the time has arrived to meet with the herd…
A young elephant is always popular, because most adult female elephants like to take care of another adoption child. Faa Sai is being circled by several families. She’s is being sniffed at and touched by trunks from all sides.The babies want to start playing with her immediately. Sri Nuan tries to put her in her mouth, and when she doesn’t manage to do so, tries to get her to stand beneath her. A cacophony of elephantsounds. Faa Sai is a popular girl from the start. Sometimes she joins Mae Boon (mother of Aura) for a walk. But she seems to be most at ease with Douk Ngern and Mae Tokoh (mother of Pupia). Therefore we decide to let her stay with this family at night. Late evening I go check on her with Pom. She is having a quarrel with Douk Ngern. Of all elephants she could push away, she shouldn’t push away Douk Ngern when I’m watching. When Douk Ngern is standing outside of the nightenclosure, Faa Sai starts to bother Pupia and his mother. Sri Nuan stands up for her family and gives Faa Sai a push. Without success. We decide to put Faa Sai out of trunks reach but still close to the family. Half an hour later she lays down and falls into a deep sleep. I’m curious what will happen tomorrow!
When I open up the blinds of my hut the next morning, Faa Sai is already running around. She is so desperately looking for love that she might look a little pushy. Some elephants push her away, but bold as she is, she goes back to them immediately. What a difference with Douk Ngern, who didn’t dare to come close to unknown elephants in her first weeks in the Park. Faa Sai choses Mae Boon as her new adoptionmother. To tell the truth Mae Boon isn’t doing a great job at taking care of her own baby, Aura, but with all the aunties around Aura is doing fine. When Mae Boon realizes what Faa Sai wants from her, she first makes a run. But Faa Sai comes after her trumpeting wildly. Mae Boon soon surrenders. From then on Faa Sai doesn’t go from her side. Aura is obviously happy with her new sister. When Faa Sai panics, Aura goes to her, to comfort her.
Her freedom back and a new family in just two days. What a wonderful feeling this must be for Faa Sai. But certainly also for me. Everyone who has helped to realise this, thanks on behalf of Faa Sai.
Happy regards from the Elephant Nature Park,
Antoinette
