Elephants

            Elephants should never have to have fake legs. In fact that goes for every animals, except for humans who try to kill one another when two leaders of the countries decide they don’t really like each other. We just bring it on our selves really. Here, at the World’s First Elephant Hospital, this unfortunate and sad truth is very real. There have been several victims of landmine explosions two of them are here as permanent residents. Both of them have glaring injuries. Mosha was 7 months old when she was following her mother in the jungle when she stepped on a land mine in Burma. The same happened to Motala, although she was just with her mahout, whom had a licence to log in that area, when she was 38 now she is 52. These elephants both lost the bottom half’s if their right and left front legs respectively. Motala was the first elephant here to receive an emergency amputation. Both of these elephants have been given the chance to live again. It may only be with three legs. The keepers here treat them with the highest respect I have ever seen from keepers.

I am incapable of being cynical or witty about this place. It would be impertinent to do so. Everything that has been built here has been for the welfare of the elephants. There is nothing like it. It is so very peaceful. Being built midst the trees the structures seemingly fuse into the leaves but offer protection from the rain and intense heat.  I have never seen a place to be as busy as this but yet have this still serenity to it. The ants that inhabit the walls, floors and trees are as busy as the workers. The only animals, which seem to take their time doing anything, are the geckos.

One experience, which will stick with me for a long time, while at the elephant hospital, was a tiny piece of surgery. Having been called to take photographs on an ill elephant called Boonmee, I wondered over casually as I didn’t want to run far to hot. The infirmary was not far from my room so I took my time. I had taken many pictures of this elephant before while she was receiving injections, so I was not too bothered about getting anything new as I had spent several hours with her already. Reaching the infirmary I saw one of the mahouts putting on a green protective gown. I thought this was the moment I had been waiting for, seeing some operation or something equally gory. Eagerly I started to change lenses to something small so I could capture the action. This is where I probably shouldn’t have been that enthusiastic as I had clearly missed the fact there was no sheets around to block off from any prying eyes. Reflecting on the situation I really should have noticed the lack of preparation for surgery and seen the lack of surgical instruments. Taking to the vet I found out that it was not surgical operation and that she was bloated. During this convocation, which had my full concentration, I missed the hose being filled with soap and it being lubricated. This along a long with the arm of the mahout had by now been lubricated to the satisfaction of the vet. The 5 or so keepers that were surrounding Boonmee, who all looked so casual, gently rubbing her side and comforting her, her mahout was at her trunk, and two more had her tail. This is where the wave of realisation crashed onto my shore of reality. Really with out warning the mahout with the hose stood on tiptoe and inserted his arm to the elephants (I am trying not to be explicit here) rear. I am not saying that that experience was at all bad. It was just very unexpected. I would like to point out that this was done under the supervision of a vet and was necessary for the animal. Having never really watched anything like this before I was more interested in what was going on than to take any pictures.

There are very few words, which I could use to sun up this hospital but all of then are good ones. I can see no ill will here. Only unadulterated intentions and driven people. I had always felt like conservation was boring and that it was for people whom were just a little bit reckless.  However, the owner of the hospital Soraida Salwala has built it up from nothing. As her passion and determination for saving an animal. Meeting her and talking to her you can see her determination. I could easily rattle off clichés at you to show how much she has provoked me. There is really nothing that can describe her, she is formidable and all the synonyms that go with it, and probably most important of all. Soraida is kind, no need for big fancy words. My conversations with her shall be a treasured experience.