We rescue an elephant

Day 6: Boon Lotts Elephant Sanctuary – BLES- Sukhothai province, Thailand

We are blessed to be here on a day when BLES is doing what it was created to do.  Bring elephants out of illegal logging or the tourist trade (riding, circus performances) and into a natural environment for them to live out their lives and make their own choices.

“We created BLES to be our apology to the elephants on how we as a species have treated them,” says founder Katherine, or Kate, Connor, the 43 year old elephant evangelist originally from London, but now is more Thai after living here for more than 20 years and raising her family of five kids with her Thai husband who was one of the original elephant handlers, or mahout.

Today, Sampord, an elderly male or bull elephant is led from his local village to the sanctuary to live out the rest of his life.  He will be allowed to roam where he wants, eat what he wants and make choices he wasn’t able to do when he was chained at his previous residence. 

This is not the more typical rescue from an abusive situation.  Where the elephants are chained in small quarters to log, or to be bred.  This owner actually approached Kate 9 years ago as part of 3 other bull elephant owners and asked her to buy their elephants, so they could take them out of logging but still make a living. 

This was a hard ask, since bull elephants are notoriously hard to keep because of their aggressive behavior when they go into musth – a release of hormones.  Most places don’t accept bull elephants.

Kate said “No.  I cannot ‘buy’ your brothers (this is the intimate relationship between most owners and their elephants.  But, I will lease them from you, and you can come to stay with your brothers and still make an honest livelihood.”

And so the four bull elephants came to live at BLES.  It made national news.

Then came covid.  Without home stays, like Siri and me, coming each week, it was hard to pay the bills and Kate had to let one of the bulls, Sampord, go back to their owner. Everyone thought it would be for just a few months, not the five yards it has been.

So, now in a better financial condition, Kate can bring Sampord back to BLES and that is our mission today.

We load up into the rickety, literally handmade truck, stop at the store to pick up drinks to celebrate this miraculous homecoming and off we go.  We turn off the main road and drive onto dirt roads for a while until we come to the owners rural house.  It is a simple farmer’s house – raised on stilts (cattle used to be kept below), open air sides with a few walls.  We notice an electrician is installing new overhead wires, bringing electricity to them today as well for the first time.

The owner comes out – he is a gentleman probably in his 50’s or more.  He has used Sampord in logging, but it has been hard because Sampord’s back left foot is a foot shorter, so he waddles when he walks.  These past five years he has had to feed and take care of his elephant on his own and today he gets to move to BLES as his new job.

Kate gives him one of the purple T-shirts which have been made to celebrate this occasion to all the staff and guests like us that has a simple drawing of Sampord.

It is a celebration. All the mahouts from BLES have joined us.  Their elephants have been given treats today to stay in their enclosures while they come welcome their newest brother.  The energy is high the whole day.

The owner brings out Sampord, without chains, and he begins the  3 mile walk on back roads to BLES.

For the next two hours, we walk behind Sampord, walk in front of Sampord, hop on the truck, and just enjoy the fun.  We open a few beers.  At one stop, the mahouts aquire some local rice wine and we all take shots.  The owner encourages Sampord along the way with apples we just cut this morning.

Finally, Sampord makes it to the main camp and their is a full feast of fruit and banana trees waiting for him.

Kate just sits and watches from a far under green umbrella.

It is a happy day for everyone.

Especially Sampord.