Friends of the Asian Elephant('FAE')

This trailblazing organization, founded by Miss Soraida Salwala, has spearheaded Thailand's desperate struggle to care for its 'unemployed' domesticated elephants and preserve its dwindling wild elephant population.
 
'FAE' is a registered member of Thailand's NGOs for the Protection of Natural Resources and has been awarded grants for its work from Thailand's Office of the National Culture Commission. The elephant, Thailand's official national and royal symbol, holds a place of great prestige and reverence in Thai society. But the pressures of Thailand's rapidly modernizing nation and developing economy have put the elephant in great danger. Some estimates claim Thailand's elephant population has fallen from almost 300,000 one hundred years ago to less than 5,000 today.
 
Miss Soraida's 'Friends of the Asian Elephant' run an Elephant Hospital(the first of its kind) in northern Thailand to care for injured and/or orphaned elephants. 'Friends' also have a mobile care unit to attend to suffering elephants in more remote areas.
 
Please check out their site and learn more about this devoted and caring NGO.
 
MOTOLA
 
Elephant Agony: An Elephant Walked over 60 miles after a land mind shredded its foot (August 21,1999)
 
Thai veterinarians might have to amputate an elephant's leg up to the knee and fit the animal with a prosthesis after he stepped on a land mine in the jungles of neighbouring Myanmar and walked over 60 miles.
The 38-year-old pachyderm, named Motola, stepped on a land mine a week ago as it was foraging for food on the rugged Thai-Myanmar border during a break from hauling logs out of the forest. The blast completely shredded the elephant's left foot. Then the animal had to hobble through the mountains out of Myanmar/Burma, and then along sealed roads for three days to reach an elephant hospital at Lampang in northern Thailand. By the time Motola had completed the 60-mile trek, the flesh of his foot had started to decompose.
  • Motola Updates
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    Landmine Maims 2 Elephants

    Two young female elephants, aged six and two years, were admitted to Lampang Elephant Hospital yesterday morning, a week after triggering a landmine in Burma. The explosion on October 5 mutilated six year-old Mojay's right hind leg and Motoo's left front leg. At the time they were following their mother to haul logs in the Burmese forest. The source does not mention if the logging was illegal, but we guess it was. The mother was not injured. For five days the elephants' owner, Pasupo Wiangbunlue of Tak, coaxed the maimed animals back through the deep jungle and across the Moei river into Thailand. Mojay's condition was improving, but two-year-old Motoo's injuries were worrying.
    (Source: The Bangkok Post, Wednesday, 12 October 2005)
     
    Elephants may get IDs

    Public opinion will be sought on a proposed new law relating to elephants before a final revision of the draft bill is submitted for parliamentary consideration, the vice minister of the Natural Resources and Environment Ministry said.
    You can read the full article here.
    (Source: The Nation, Sunday, 10 September 2006)