Dok Ngeon auntie to newly arrived baby
Just after the arrival of baby Thong Kham and his mother, another baby elephant joined the herd at the Elephant Nature Park. Eleven days after his birth Thong Tae and his mother were brought to the Elephant Nature Park. Thong Tae’s mother had been working at a trekkingcamp, which isn’t a good place to raise a newly born. The owner decided to bring his elephants to the Elephant Nature Park to assure they would have enough food, rest and freedom to enjoy. Soon after the arrival of the new baby, Dok Ngeon hurries to their enclosure and tries to get the attention of mother and baby.
During the bathing in the river Dok Ngeon succeeds in making contact. She immediately starts taking care of the baby. The mother is happy to have such a protective auntie, now she can finally get some rest. Dok Ngeon doesn’t loose sight of her for a single moment. Every potential threat, like a dog running past or other elephants who wouldn’t do any harm, is taken very serious by Dok Ngeon, she doesn’t take any risk, trying to protect the baby.
Dok Ngeon is so obsessed with the baby, that she doesn’t give any attention to her own family any more (poor Sri Nuan). She is not interested any more in the bread which Pom always gives to her in the afternoon, and every elephantfriend which comes close to the baby is chased away by her. Dok Ngeon is on a serious mission. Everytime the baby walks close to her side Dok Ngeon tries to let the baby come drink milk with her. When the baby eventually does, you could see how proud Dok Ngeon was.
Lek has started up a new program offering alternative training for young elephants. Instead of the violent Phajaan training, elephants can come to the Elephant Nature Park to be trained with rewards and love. Lek started this trainingmethod as an experiment years ago. Now she has proven that it can be successful, this trainingmethod can also be used for elephants not living at the Elephant Nature Park. Hopefully this trainingmethod eventually will be officially ackknowledged so training based on pain will not be necessary anymore.
Dok Ngeon’s family has just undergone a shock. Baby Pupia and his mother Mae Thokoh sadly have had to leave the Park. The owner came to take them with him again. Now Dok Ngeon has left her family for the new baby, thus Sri Nuan and Mae Lai Thong are own their own again. Sri Nuan seems to be ok with it. Every now and then she joins Hope’s family: Jokia and Mae Perm. Mae Lai Thong tries to come close to baby Thong Tae sometimes but Dok Ngeon doesn’t allow any new family members yet, not even her own family. When the baby is a little less vulnerable the family probably can be expanded. Hopefully a big new family will then emerge, where Sri Nuan will be part of as well.
