Page 32 - BBC Wildlife Volume 36 #06

Jack’s 10 years of experience in running an elephant
cl linic and sanctuary in Cambodia has taught him that,
if f the elephants are not ridden or unduly handled,
th
hey begin to feel less stressed, resulting in a return to
more natural behaviour. This success has led him to
m
c ontemplate one step further: to rehabilitate some of
h
his charges so they can return to the wild.
The new Thailand project was set up with
t his goal in mind from the beginning. After the
sanctuary’s neighbours were convinced that no
s
e
elephants were likely to escape and run wild, Top: Elephant
work began on transforming a derelict, 40-acre Valley is home
to six elephants,
c
chicken and fish farm into a wildlife-friendly
four of which can
Singhaputtangkul run the rehabilitation centre with the space. Local employment opportunities were provided be seen here, but
aim of providing a stress-free environment for its giant during a nine-month period of cleaning, filling in pools hopes to expand.
residents, while keeping interactions between the mammals and sowing the land with the natural organic grasses Inset: an old
and visitors to a minimum. There are many sanctuaries favoured by elephants. Encouraging the animals to graze tyre is‘elephant
catnip’– the only
that attempt to provide a natural life for former captive on grass rather than depend on humans for food helps
form of artificial
elephants, but this place has one major difference – it wants prepare them for the wild again. stimulation
to be the first to reintroduce ex-captive elephants to the wild. Jack is also very keen to minimise unnatural allowed at the
That is no easy job. Asian elephants in captivity stimulation as well, but occasionally the elephants do get sanctuary.
become heavily imprinted with the gruelling life imposed bored in such a comparatively small enclosure. He has
on them, and over time it becomes very difficult for the found a solution to combat the elephant blues: an old
ey mage: E ephant Va mammals to re-learn the natural behaviour that would car tyre. “It’s basically like a cat nip toy for elephants,”
Ka Moon, Jack H ghwood & tyre: R chard Ecc eston; ; ma n Campbe currently cares for six elephants ranging in age from an elephant, according to Jack. And WEWANTTO BETHE
enable them to survive in the wild. The task is even
says Jack. The elephants love to play with it by throwing
it in the air and rolling it with their trunks.
harder for young elephants that are born in captivity.
The Elephant Valley project is only a year old and
It takes at least two years to rewild
here is just in the first phase. The
nine-year-old Lou to Ka Moon, an ex-trekking elephant
FIRSTTO RELEASE
of nearly 60 years. They were rescued from the tourism
next step is to have a nighttime
pen that will allow the elephants to
and logging and industries where they would have been
CAPTIVE ELEPHANTS
boy & vets: Ab
spend some time unchained. “At
ridden and made to move heavy timber. Sadly, Ka Moon
bears very visible scars on her forehead, which are most
likely from a bullhook used to train animals.
together because that is what they
June 2018
32 BBC Wildlife the moment they have to be chained BACK INTOTHEWILD.