~

Subj: A Quiet Time at FAE's Elephant Hospital
Date: 12/10/2005
It is the first time in years that our hospital is so quiet. There are only eleven elephants in house. Quite a change from the full house most of the days in years.
Champa left just before noon, on her way back to an elephant camp in Chiangmai. She did not want to get on the truck. I felt she wanted to stay and not back to work. How I wish I could keep them all! Our vets, Dr. Goy and Dr. Kaew have gone out since early morning on their mission for the Mobile Vets. I have just got her call that the two visited five camps and will stop for dinner and head back here.
One baby born a few weeks ago in one camp is undernourished because her mother does not have enough milk. So, baby of Saj-ja is being fed with powdered milk provided by FAE. Her body is fuller now. The mahout is taking good care of her and feeds her with ripe bananas in between.
Motala is the one who sees most of the changes and she is , I would say, missing her little friend, Aura.
Tah is still under musth but easy to handle. He is actually quite calm.
Champenm, Ma-nguay-low and Kamsoong are stable while our other four residents are doing quite fine in this cold weather.
The temperature is approximately 10-14 C during the night. Should it drop we shall light the bonfire to keep the elephants warm.
Baby Mo-too and Mo-jay's conditions improve. We shall let them come out for a walk tomorrow morning. To check on their balance and most importantly to let them exercise their muscles.
Good night!
Soraida
SORAIDA SALWALA
Founder
Friends of the Asian Elephant

Updates of FAE's Elephant Hospital
Date: 10/13/2005
Dear Friends:
Once again please accept my apologies for the long silence in updating our activities here. I have just arrived here at FAE's Elephant Hospital last night and we have had a busy and tough time trying to save lives. Four elephants arrived yesterday with critical conditions. At four o'clock this morning another two arrived with the same conditions, anorexia, depressed and bloated. We suspect it is from the grass they ate that were contaminated with pesticides. One out of the seven (one came on the fourth of October) with the same conditons, was in the most serious condition. He lay down and sat up and completely restless. He collapsed this morning at 7:35 a.m. There was no life sign and then he was gone.

His name was Boonnum, 35 years old.
They all came from the same elephant camp in Chiangmai. The other six are under close observation but they are gradually gaining back their health. Our vet team led by Dr. Preecha performed the enema, giving intravenous followed by letting them walk to exercise. I hope they would be better soon. A warning message from me has been sent out to all camps for the precaution and prevention of feeding the elephants with grasses. There might be some foul play as some camps are close to the orchards. Another factor is it is getting colder in the north this time of the year, the contaminated fodder causes indigestion. Young and too overgrown grass are also the cause. Elephant would eat soil when their bodies are lack of minerals could cause obstruction in the intestines. However, there are other serious cases coming. Two elephants stepped on the landmines are going to be transported from Nongbua, Tak Province to our hospital. They could not find the trucks but eventually would. It is a distance of 400 kilogrammes and the roads are quite dangerous. They have to come slowly.
I shall write again when I can.
For the elephants,
Soraida Salwala
Founder & Secretary General
Friends of the Asian Elephant (FAE)

~

Asian NGO’s Unite to Stop Live Elephant Trade from Thailand
Dear friends:
I have just returned from Tokyo to give a keynote address on the subject above at the first international workshop held by ACATF.
The ATTACHED FILE is a summary of my speech for the press release.
Sincere regards,
Soraida Salwala
8/12/2004

~

Two Seriously Injured Babies, Sisters
Date 10/13/05
Dear Friends:
Finally the two elephants that stepped on landmines arrived at 6:15 a.m. this morning. I was shocked when they opened the truck and saw two babies seriously injured.The two are sisters, walking alongside their mother but the mother was not hurt. Mo-jay is 6 years and 10 months old, severely injured on the right hind leg. Her foot is shredded and there is no foot pad left while Mo-too, her sister who is two and ten months old, is severely injured on the left front leg. The injuries are almost the same, no foot pad left. Mo-too has not weaned off and she cries for her mother but is always consoled by Mo-jay. She would reach her trunk out to touch her young sister in a way of saying, "I am here with you". It is a heart rending sight to see the two young ones suffering the same plight but do not lose courage. They have each other now and all of us as their only family. We have treated them with painkillers, anti-infection, dressed the wounds, etc. My staff shall send photos on a separate mail...Soraida

The sisters injuries are almost the same, no foot pad left.

~

6/29/04
Dear Jody:
I am in Lampang now with Motala. She is doing great and she has a new friend KAMPRAI, who is expecting a baby soon. I believe the two like each other as they seem to be very friendly. Kramprai is housed next to Motala. Motala is kept in her shelter because it rains a lot these days. However, she could move around eating grass and bananas. She loves her morning snacks of horse pellets. She would lie down often to rest on the soft sand bed we make for her. There is no bed sores on her body. The amputated left foot is closing. It is another three inches with the skin and tissues growing. Apart from her new friend Kamprai, Motala enjoys the company of baby Noel who is housed next to her shelter during the day time. Noel was born in December last year (2003) from his mother Thongkwao. Noel loves to reach his trunk out as if to reach Aunty Motala and Motala would move nearer to Noel. Noel, then would splash water in the bucket happily. They are so happy here and I try to make them happy as best I could. I talk to Motala many times a day, give her a hug every now and then. She loves to have me around and when I am not here, she seems unhappy and refuses to eat, so the mahout has to tell her every day that 'Mother is working and she misses you so much and you ought to eat to be healthy'. To every one's surprise, she will put her trunk up and start to eat again. I shall try to send her recent photos to you as soon as I can. Thank you so much for being there for all the animals and for being there for me too.

~

20/04/2004
Update:
Soraida has named the calf Auro because he was born at dawn.

4/20/2004
I am delighted to bring you this good news.
After KRAMPRAI's arrival at FAE's Elephant Hospital on 20/04/2004, we had staff on shifts to watch over her 24 hours. On Friday 17th September around 5.00 p.m., Kamprai showed sign. After twelve hours, at 5:00 am. on Saturday 18th Sept., she was in labour and delivered a healthy male baby at 6:16 a.m. The new baby weighs more than a hundred kilogrammes with 91 cm. in height. He has five nails on each front foot and four nails on the hind ones. His mother accepts him and is feeding him all right. I have attached his photo here.

Best regards,
Soraida Salwala

~

Bangkok
Thursday 12 Feb 2004
Dear friends:
I am sorry for not being able to send you photos of THONGKWAOU's baby whom I have named 'NOEL'. Hope to send them to you soon. He is healthy and naughty as all babies are. BEE-BEE and Nokia are also doing well.
Apart from our five permanent residents and three other elephants that are injured by landmines, we have another three tuskers with infection on their feet and tusks' cavity.
Sunday 15 Feb 2004
At 8.30 p.m. last night, two severely injured female and a tusker arrived. Both were attacked by the same bull elephant.
On Saturday 14th February, 2004 at 9.00 a.m., BOONMEE [a 32-year-pld cow] was attacked by Plai RACHAN. Plai RACHAN is a 40-year-old tusker who has been in musth for the past 15 days and got loose from his chain.
BOONMEE was chained to a tree when she was attacked. Her right hind leg is deformed, it must have been broken. Other injuries on her hip, etc.
At 4.00 p.m. the same day, Plai Rachan attacked a tusker, Plai Tah who also was nearby. His hind leg is deformed too. It must have been broken.
BOONMEE AND TAH worked at a newly opened elephant camp in Chiangmai. They were both chained to the trees. Tah was chained 30 metres away from the camp. He has been in musth too.
RACHAN has been shot on four legs to stop him. We are enquiring about his conditions too since no one could tell us how he is.
BOONMEE and TAH would be sedated on Monday morning to put the bamboo casts on their legs to support them before we make the fiberglass casts. It would be tough for both of them. If they cannot make it, we have no other choice.
It has been a busy weekend, another patient arrived this afternoon. Pung KWANG, a 70-year-old cow collapsed last night and she was transported to us. We'll start intravenous in a short while. She has lost her appetite. It must have been her old age. The digestion fails. She is deteriorating. However, we are doing our best for them.
For the elephants,
Soraida Salwala
FAE

~

1/21/2004
To: JodysJungle.com
Eighteen hours after the birth of Thongkwaou's baby, NOEL, Thongkwaou finally allowed him to feed from her. At birth Noel was 96 c.m. in height and weighed approx 110 KG. He was slightly bigger than BEE-BEE. He is a sweet baby and Thongkwaou is proving to be a good mother.
Plai TOUR EUTHANISED
I am sad to send you the sad news after such a good one.
TOUR, the tusker I wrote to you about, had to be put down this morning.
He has slept peacefully at last.
Soraida Salwala
Friends of the Asian Elephant [FAE]

Bangkok/Sun 1st June, 2003

1]
TANTHONG
has fully recovered but shall have to change her diets to more digestive
ones.  Since she has aged a lot, her hearing is not so good and her right
eye sight that she could dimly see is failing her.

2]
SANGTHIEN whose tail we had to amputate on the 20th May is recovering well
from the two surgeries of abcesses on his right leg.

3]-6]
THE OTHER FOUR PERMANENT RESIDENTS, apart from Tanthong are doing all right.
TAHNEE's anemia is still closely watched.  EKHE,AUAN,MOTALA are very
cooperative; with their new friends around, they are acting as the happy
hosts.

7]
MANGUAY-LOW is also has some problem with anemia and eats less so we have
her on intravenous and has started a special diet on her menu yesterday i.e.
plain cooked rice with yellow beans mixed with sugar and salt. She consumes
this well.

8]
CHAMPEN is improving and the growing nail and sole make her scratch them on
the corners of the cement disinfectant tank, so I have them rubbed off and
rounded up with cement.  No sharp corners for her to rub the new tissues on.

9]
I am not sure I had missed this case in my previous message but:
PLAI PONG, a ten-year old male who came on the 23rd April went back on the
29th April. His vomit stopped and he could eat and drink normally.

9]-10]
PAITUN AND HER BABY  T I N Y
are happy mother and child but TINY's naughtiness has caused him several
falls and stings from bugs but we built a wooden  wide pen for them to stay.
TINY could wander in there freely with his mother but when he grows taller,
I am sure he would try to climb it.  We'll see to that.

11]
JOKIA, the expecting mother still has more months before her pregnancy is
due.

12]
THONG-KWAOU, another expecting mother has already shown signs, the baby is
moving.

13] TOKI
the inflammation of the abcesses have reduced.

14]-15] NEW PATIENTS
Mother, PUNG BOONDEE and her unnamed female baby of four years old arrived
on the 24th May.  The baby had diarrhea but is recovering now.

SAD NEWS

FAE was informed at 2.00 a.m of 29th May that a female baby was born in one
of the Elephants Camps in Chiangmai but unfortunately, ANG-KOR, her mother
tried to kill her.  Dr. Piak rushed there and reported back that the baby
sufferred from internal bleeding.  We managed to feed her with her mother's
milk in the bottle.  It was ANG-KOR's first baby.  FAE had warned all owners
that to be on the safe side, all expecting mothers nearing the full time of
pregnancy should be brought to FAE's Elephant Hospital.  Some of them did
not listen.  The baby died early  last night after the convulsion with the
veterian by her side. We had done our best.  The postmortem showed severe
bleeding in liver and other organs.

Elephants in captivity are killing their babies more than ever and FAE has
been very much concerned.

I will try to have photos of TINY sent to you or updates on our web.

Thank you for your continued support.

For the elephants,

Soraida Salwala
Founder& Secretary General
Friends of the Asian Elephant [FAE]

~

5/21/03
Dear Friends:
I returned to Bangkok this evening and received good news. My letter sent to the Prime Minister on the 4th of April, 2003 was proved to be satisfying. The representative of BMA [Bangkok Administrative Metropolitan] sent me today a letter that from the order of the Prime Minister's Office for BMA to reply to FAE prior to our request to announce Bangkok as Elephant Free Zone, BMA had announced it on 11th April but they just sent a letter and their announcement to me today.
At least, this small step is a great achievement. I wish other provinces would follow soon. There should be no more elephants on the streets risking their lives and others.
Regarding TANTHONG, we managed to get the obstruction in the intestines out this afternoon. She can drink now but we still keep the intravenous on to help her gain strength. She is under close observation.
SANGTHIEN's wound is clean. We hope he would recover soon.
BABY TINY has grown a lot and very naughty. Everyone adores him.
I hope these good news would bring you a smile that FAE & I rarely give you.
Cheers!
Soraida Salwala
FOUNDER & SECRETARY GENERAL
FAE

Updates on Sick Elephants
Lampang/Wed 21st May, 2003
Tanthong,
our blind elephant has fallen ill on Sat 17th May. She refused to drink or eat. We have been giving her intravenous. And she finally urinated but only a few times. Yesterday she started to eat young bamboo leaves and was more alert but today she fails to eat or drink and shows sign of difficult breathing. We are trying to save her. Tanthong has been with FAE since April 1997. She is over 70 years old but apart from complete blindness on her left eye and the right one that we saved, she was strong.
We have two new patients, one is our former patient ( who suffered from high glucose in her blood and almost left her blind in 2001). She is pregnant and might deliver before Jokia who is also pregnant and has been here since January this year.
The second new patient is Sangthien who came on the eight of May with knife wound on his tail. We decided to amputate his tail yesterday.
I'll let you know about TANTHONG in FAE next updates.
Soraida Salwala
Founder & Secretary General
FRIENDS OF THE ASIAN ELEPHANT (FAE)

~

FAE's Elephant Hospital

~

THE NINTH VICTIM OF LANDMINE
Date:8/3/2003
From:fae@loxinfo.co.th
Life is tough. I know I should remain neutral but the cases of elephants stepping on landmines, mothers killing their babies and other worrying problems have saddened me a great deal.
JOKIA's baby is a joy to all of us and I am sorry to send you the sad news right after the good one.
MOBRA, a 30-year-old female Thai elephant arrived at 2.10 a.m. yesterday morning at FAE's Elephant Hospital. MOBRA just wandered across the border to another side of the river, so her mahout went searching for her by following her footprints. He found her one kilometer away and got on her back to walk her home. MOBRA stepped on the mine right on the way at 9.00 a.m. on 26th July, 2003. The mahout was still on her neck, unhurt. He tried to walk her back but the tides had gone too high up. It had been raining heavily. They waited there together for SIX DAYS before they could cross the river, man and elephant, on Fri 1st August. It took almost 11 hours drive from where the truck could load her to transport her to FAE.
While waiting, the mahout, JORKAY, boiled water and used it to help reduce MOBRA's pain. He did not know what to do but tried all he could to help MOBRA. Mobra is not a working elephant. She is inherited in the family of an old woman in the village of TAK province. The injuries are on her right front foot. They are so severe, less than Motala but more than Champen and Manguaylow. MOBRA was blown off the ground from the strong explosion. She still bleeds from time to time, has fever and the wounds are already infected. Her leg is swollen. MOBRA is a bit nervous with the new surroundings but her temperament is good and quite cooperative.
For the elephants,
Soraida Salwala
Friends of the Asian Elephant [FAE]
Thailand

~

Bangkok/Thu 24th July, 2003
Good News!
JOKIA gave birth to a healthy female baby at 11.00 this morning. Jokia had shown sign yesterday, so our two vets stood by with all the team the whole night. They reported to me every half hour. Until a few minutes before eleven, I was told JOKIA was still eating. [Usually the pregnant elephant that is expecting would stop eating a few hours before delivery]. At eleven ten, good news came. Jokia delivered her baby with no complication but we had to snatch the baby right away as planned. Within less than an hour the baby fed herself from her mother without rejection from JOKIA. Thongkwaou whom we expected to deliver before JOKIA is closely observed.
Happy day to all of us!
Soraida Salwala
[FAE]

Jokia's baby has been named "Bee-Bee"
in honor of Brigitte Bardot's generous donation to FAE.

~