Rescued Baby Elephant Takes Its First Bath and Overflows with Tenderness (video)
Elephants are one of the most endangered species worldwide, in the case of Asian elephants the figures prove it. There are only between 20,000 and 40,000 elephants left in the wild in the world and 3,800 in captivity in Thailand. However, the latter do not always live in shelters, but rather belong to the tourism industry and have never lived in freedom. That is the case of BunMa and Chaba, a mother elephant and her little baby who lived their entire lives in a riding camp, where BunMa was in charge of entertaining tourists. That is until the Save Elephant Foundation heard about their story and got to work rescuing them.
BunMa lived most of her life in captivity at the riding camp. Tied with chains and forced to do tricks to entertain tourists, her life did not boast optimal conditions for an animal of her species. Chaba was born in the same camp and remained isolated from the outside world, her only company was BunMa when she was not working.
The day of the rescue
When Save Elephant Foundation (SEF), a non-profit association that is responsible for rescuing elephants in precarious conditions, heard about this story, it did not hesitate to act. Upon arriving at the camp they found two elephants completely isolated and without any type of enrichment. BunMa’s legs were tied with a short chain to prevent her from moving from the place. Both the mother and Chaba showed signs of poor health and therefore, the association negotiated the rescue.
It was decided to move them to the Elephant Nature Park, in the north of Thailand. Originally it was planned to make the transfer in a cargo vehicle, but both elephants showed nervousness about the situation. So finally the rescuers thought that a long walk would be the best option. After two hours of embarking on the journey on foot, both elephants arrived at what is now their new home and were greeted with an elephant cake.
Baby elephant overflowing with tenderness
After enjoying his welcome meal, Chaba, the baby elephant received his first bath and the images that SEF shared of the moment simply overflow with tenderness. In them you can see the little girl playing with her trunk in the water for the first time, while her mother takes a break to feed her.
Since then, SEF has shared numerous videos showing Chaba playing with the water. She even looks very recovered, with a larger size and a much healthier appearance. “The little girl’s weight is constantly improving. “We are delighted to see the girl grow up in good health,” says SEF. Chaba and her mother BunMan will now live the rest of their lives in the park, where they will be protected by the entire sanctuary team that she hopes to replace with her care, the memories of the harsh captivity to which they were subjected.