it is not easy for me to talk about everything, but I had promised and maybe . . . . .
I, THONG KOON , had already had 2 forced inseminations, actually violations of the breeding program, behind me when I was barely 24 years old. — I had my 1st baby when I was a very young elephant – it was a boy and despite everything I was so happy and full of happiness as a mother. But very soon they took my boy away from me. I knew what was in store for him, my little one had to go to the so-called Phajaan – to the so-called training. My pain is infinite, I feel – like every mother, that my boy is doing very, very badly. I can still hear his desperate screams and cries. I know that training camp is hell. After that, my boy is sold to a Japanese man and flown to Japan. I can hardly express my pain. —
THONG KOON starts making strange noises. It is her soul that is crying – she is crying for her stolen baby. Deep depressions envelop the desperate mother. 3 years later she is pregnant again, but this time she could neither push nor give birth. Whether there were complications or whether THONG KOON was too scared to hand her baby over to a cruel world of captivity or to save her little one from future suffering, only she knows.
In such a difficult situation there was no help, love, comfort for the poor mother who was suffering so much, neither from other elephants nor from humans. Alone, tied under a tree in the jungle by her owner, she is left to her fate. After about 2 weeks – it’s unbelievable what THONG KOON must have gone through, the baby slipped out on its own… DEAD. The 2nd big scar on her soul. Her bottom was very swollen after the stillbirth, but there is no veterinary care in these remote regions of Laos either. This means the animals must continue their hard work in the timber industry whether they are injured or sick or not. Her uterus was very inflamed and she suffered from daily introitus pain.
In 2019 THONG KOON was rescued and brought to the Sanctuary. You a broken soul – scared and nervous and very suspicious. They can hardly believe that another happy life is about to begin for them too. She joined the small flock of PHOON ME and BOON HOM . She felt safe and happy there. And she learned step by step that there are also honest people with a heart full of love and understanding – also for her. She too opens her heart and learns that there are people she can trust – people who love her.
When – 12/2019 – KHAMMONE, SUK DEE and KHAM SUAN – arrived at the Sanctuary, THONG KOON’s soul found a little more healing again. The other noises and smells of the new arrivals made her very curious. She soon left her flock to look and greeted the new ones with joy. She felt so comfortable that she spent the whole afternoon with them and of course the adorable SUK DEE conquered her mother’s heart. KHAMMONE and KHAM SUAN felt the sincere feelings towards the little one and accepted her as a nanny. These delicate bonds of love, the task of caring for a baby, giving care and love, receiving love from the little one, are balm for her soul and contribute to her healing. A loving affection also develops between THONG KOON and KHAM SUAN . Nobody knows what KHAM SUAN had to go through, except maybe THONG KOON . Elephants talk a lot and are extremely empathetic, helping and comforting one another.
Unfortunately this luck should not last – the owner of KHAMMONE, KHAM SUAN and SUK DEE takes the 3 back . Again THONG KOON loses her little family – she cries and mourns, does not like to eat and nothing. Everyone cares for her touchingly, but this loss cannot heal so quickly. — (The photos are still from happy times)