Trees for Sri Nuan
- Photo story: Sri Nuan enjoys her freedom at the Elephant Nature Park.
- Elephants don’t belong in cities! This was our message on our educational trip with the two street elephants Sri Nuan and Dok Ngeon. This first project by Bring the Elephant Home generated a lot of attention for the fate of street elephants. Also read the book: ‘Thaise olifanten van de straat’.
- See Sri Nuan’s photo album.
- Be a foster parent to Sri Nuan.
- The Elephant Nature Park has a great need for healthy, non-poisonous and varied food. This is why thousands of trees are being planted in and around the park for Sri Nuan and the more than thirty other elephants being cared for. Help us!
Elephant festival Surin.
December 2005. During the Elephant festival in Surin, many elephants were begging in the city. Sri Nuan (47 years old) was also a begging elephant. We found her ‘parked’ in front of our hotel. Her mahout told us that Sri Nuan broke her chain one night and run away. On a rice field someone shot her with a slingshot and hit her in the eye. Her baby Nhung Nhing was sold to a show when she was only 8 months old. Traumatized by the lost of the baby, blinded on one side, she is still begging on the streets.
Picking up Sri Nuan
Luckily we could buy Sri Nuan and save her from further street begging. No more tourists on her back. No more suffering in cities, but a happy life at the Elephant Nature Park, where she can spend the rest of her life as a free elephant.
Arrival at the Elephant Nature Park
Sri Nuan has become a protecting auntie for baby Pupia (6 weeks when Sri Nuan arrived), and stays near him all the time. Sri Nuan seems to be very happy with the little one near her, after she lost her own baby. Apart from that she cares so much for Dok Ngeon with whom she has become friends during their journey to the Elephant Nature Park.
Elephant family
November 2006. Sri Nuan and Dok Ngeon were grazing at my feet, much heavier and a lot more social. Sri Nuan had found peace and stopped challenging the other elephants. Teen elephant Hope still tried to provoke Sri Nuan. Every now and then he tries to push her back full throttle. Sri Nuan is having a great time with all of Hope’s pranks.
Antoinnette with Sri Nuan and Dok Ngeon
October 2007. After spending nearly two months in the Netherlands I’m back in Thailand. Of course, I had just had to spend the first few days with the elephants. Since Dok Ngeon started flirting a bit more, Sri Nuan has taken on her friends Hope and Jungle Boy. Every day, Sri Nuan spends at least a few hours playing with them in the river. While Hope sits on her back, Jungle Boy tries to push her over. Jungle Boy’s tusks can be dangerous from time to time. Sri Nuan ended up with a wound under her good eye once. Still, she liked Jungle Boy and even temped him. After all of their wild adventures were over, Sri Nuan and Douk Ngern joined up again. Almost as if they wanted to exchange stories and check if everything is all right.
Having an itch.
March 2008. Sri Nuan is clearly enjoying her peaceful and carefree life. She is leisurely waiting for the fruit to come in every day, and then slowly eats it. She keeps a close eye on Pupia, but is not worried as long as the other elephants are paying attention too. She often spends time with Douk Ngern in the river, away from all the fuss, or in the field. It clearly shows how close their bond is. Sri Nuan gets along with most of the elephants, except for Mae Bua Tong, Thong Jan’s mother. Why, is not clear, but lately they quarrel a lot. Oh well, it is all part of the free lives of elephants.
Young trees at the Elephant Nature Park
The park has a great need for healthy, non-poisonous and varied food. This is why thousands of trees are being planted in and around the park. Last year, the local Forestry department of the Thai government provides us with 10,000 sprigs to fill the nursery. Species of trees indigenous to the area, fast-growing and favoured by the elephants.
Volunteers plant trees at the Elephant Nature Park
Every week the volunteers are collecting seeds for the nursery, and are planting trees. The first 20.000 trees have already been planted in and around the Elephant Nature Park. A great start, but we still have a long way to go. Sri Nuan and the other elephants at the Elephant Nature Park need healthy, non-poisonous and varied food. Many more trees will have to be planted.
Thanks a lot! Antoinette
