Thai Team Works to Save Trapped Elephant

Perhaps totally irrevelant, but I like elephants...

Thai Team Works to Save Trapped Elephant
The Associated Press
Wednesday, July 12, 2006; 6:38 PM

KHUN SONG, Thailand -- A rescue team armed with heavy machinery was working to save a 50-year-old elephant that slipped into a muddy ditch in the Thai jungle and couldn't get up, an official said Wednesday.

The five-ton elephant has been lying on its side since the fall last week inside the massive Khao Ang Rue-Ni wildlife sanctuary, which sprawls over parts of five provinces in eastern Thailand.

Its left hind leg was stuck in deep mud, caused by weeks of heavy rains, and the elephant was unable to lift itself because of a previous injury to its right rear leg that had rendered the animal partly lame, said Boonlue Poonnil, head of the wildlife sanctuary.

A dozen forestry workers and veterinarians have been unsuccessfully working to lift the pachyderm for days. They initially dug a hole around the beast with a backhoe and tried to scoop it up to its feet. Then they tried manpower to push the animal up.

Now they're planning to wrap a belt around its belly and lift it with a crane, which was expected to arrive Wednesday, Boonlue said.

To keep the elephant free of infection, the rescue team has been feeding it antibiotics and vitamins stuffed inside bananas.

www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/07/12/AR2006071201566.html (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/07/12/AR2006071201566.html)

Not irrelevant at all. Some Thai gay visitors only go there for the Eco-tourism,yes really. I also love Elephants. The poor animal trapped by it's own bulk, this is terrifying for it. It might have lost the will already, that is a long time to be trapped. Is it a totally wild elephant? If it is, the chances of it surviving are slim. I will prey for it.

Ailing elephant rescued but can't stand
By Apichart Weerawong, Associated Press Writer
July 13, 2006


KHUN SONG, Thailand --An animal medical rescue team succeeded Thursday in hauling a partially lame elephant out of a mud hole in which he was stuck, but the five-ton beast was unable to stand up or be moved further.

The elephant had been lying on its side since getting stuck in the mud last week inside the massive Khao Ang Rue-Ni wildlife sanctuary, which sprawls over parts of five provinces in eastern Thailand.

Its left hind leg had become stuck in deep mud, and it was unable to lift itself out because of a previous injury to its right rear leg that had left it partly lame. Veterinarians had already been treating it in the wild for several months.

Elephants used to roam all around Thailand, but now only an estimated 3,000 wild elephants survive in national parks and other sanctuaries. Deforestation has forced many to move into surrounding farming communities in search of food.

A roughly equal number of elephants are domesticated, eking out a living as tourist attractions or beggars who roam Bangkok and other cities with their keepers.

After learning of the partly lame elephant's latest plight, a dozen forestry workers and veterinarians rushed to its aid earlier this week, but were unable to push it out of the hole.

On Thursday, however, they made partial progress by fastening a sling to the scoop of a backhoe, and hoisting the elephant so its leg would be free of the mud.

However, the elephant was unable to stand on its own, and fell over on its side next to the mud hole.

The medical team, unsure what to do next, decided to construct a care station around the beast, and called for some elephant trainers, or mahouts, to come survey the situation on Friday.

"His condition has not changed. We tried to give him nutrients, water and stimulants, so he started to have more energy. We were able to pull him out of the hole," said Teeraporn Maneeon, a veterinarian from the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plants.

"But he was laying down for a long time, and his leg has gone numb, and from blood tests, we found that his muscles also have problems," he said. "So we have to focus on nutrients, and give him medicine to reduce the infection in his muscles."

Teeraporn's prognosis was guardedly optimistic.

"When his body is ready, there is a chance that he will stand again because right now he has the will to help himself again," he said. "At first, he didn't have the will at all."


www.boston.com/news/odd/articles/2006/07/13/ailing_elephant_rescued_but_cant_stand/ (http://www.boston.com/news/odd/articles/2006/07/13/ailing_elephant_rescued_but_cant_stand/)

Any news?
I feel so for this Elephant. Lying on it's side, normally for Elephants, longer than a few hours is dangerous, the shifting mass and the pressure on the organs. This elephant is obviously a fighter, despite sever, almost complete, metabolic exhaustion, it appears to want to live.
It could be a catch 22 situation, in my opinion, as the flight fight response towards it's care givers will continually push forward it's metabolic destruction. I wonder if stimulants are an all together good idea? The chronic muscle fatigue will be due to chemical damage to the muscle, a probable depletion of glycogen and the urgent need of electrolyte fluid. It looks like it does not have what it takes to stand at this point. The race between restoring glycogen ( a very slow process) and muscle destruction ( a relatively quick process) could be it's undoing.

I believe but I am not sure if this has been proven or disproved beyond a reasonable doubt , but that Elephants have cognitive thought patterns something like our own. Which will mean it should actually have some real cognitive fear and anticipation of death at this point. But by the same token it may actually be realising that it is being helped, and there is a very possible chance this is true, giving it a life saving glimmer of hope that all will be well. Perhaps just enough to turn the tide.

I just hope it is not too long now which ever way it turns out.

The papers this morning said he died. Had a full Buddhist funeral, too. Apparently he will be buried for two years, then dug up for some type of memorial display???

He had a good innings, all things considered.

I wish to ask all tourist taking elephant rides in Thailand to look for the obvious signs of abuse captive elephants endure. If there are nasty round marks on the forehead, it is where the mahouts have been pounding with the back of their spike's. Sometimes the skin is completely missing here. It is a very sensitive area where the hide is relatively thin. Please complain to the tourist authorities if you see this. The mahouts will stand up on their knees and to get maximum thrust and smash down with the back of the spike pole handle, this is horribly painful,like being hit on the head with a hammer. It is a very common form of punishment. And should be outlawed. If you see such damage please do not pay to ride at that camp, and make it clear why. You will be surprised at how common this is and where.

Take a good look around you before you decide if you must, to ride an elephant. It is not difficult to spot damage on an elephant. It is especially common where they have piles of tempting sugar cane or bananas for the tourists to pay to feed the animals. The elephants cannot resist going towards the the food and the flapping arms of the punters. To then brutally punish a hungry elephant for doing so is an outrage.
That this practise has been going on without punishment for so long is beyond my comprehension, visit any elephant clinic in Thailand and you will see animals being treated for these injuries??? What exactly is going on in the minds of mahouts I simply have no idea, but the vets seem powerless to stop them. But you as a paying tourist can vote with your Baht.

Please think of the elephant's well being. These are wild animals and you are taking certain real risks by being anywhere near them, you will also get far more satisfaction from watching the elephants doing the things they love to do, like bathing and working and playing. Unless you are astride it's neck, the ride is horribly uncomfortable, anyway. Rather give your money to the elephant clinics by way of donation. :idea:

poor jumbo.

Similarly think twice before posing with all wild animals in captivity in Thailand. Most of these animals are being illegally removed from wild-life reserves and illegally sold as tourist props. Not only is posing with a tiger or a snake or a gibbon stupid and dangerous but it looks ridiculous and is by no means unique. Rather go and visit any number of the parks and take back photo's of wild animals you may have glimpsed in the wild, far more prestige. Train your ego's, and save a species from a life of misery.

Here ends the sermon.

Elephant dies after muddy rescue

A 50-year-old wild elephant that became a Thai media star after being stuck in the mud for a week died today despite the best rescue efforts of scores of volunteers, an official said.

The elderly pachyderm, named Plai Khun Song, was rescued on Friday from a mud hole in a sanctuary in Chanthaburi province, east of Bangkok, but could not stand up due to his lame leg.

"He died peacefully at 4am. We will conduct a Buddhist ceremony to pray for him," district chief Viwat Chantanurak said.

Efforts to rescue the elephant have been broadcast daily on television, with newspapers and web sites reporting his ordeal prominently.


www.bangkokpost.com/breaking_news/breakingnews.php?id=109211 (http://www.bangkokpost.com/breaking_news/breakingnews.php?id=109211)