The elephant whisperer: A haven for mistreated animals
They are scarred by years of abuse. Their forest domain has shrunk, and their numbers along with it. But one woman has taken on the task of protecting the animals Thailand once held sacred
By Jan McGirk in Mae Ping
Published: 09 December 2005
Lek flings slices of sweet white bread into the maw of a frisky five-year-old male elephant she calls Hope, whom she has hand-reared from babyhood. Hope loudly kisses her cheeks and lips with his trunk.
In the afternoon, she will romp with the whole herd as they take their river-baths and talcum off with dust. A while back, Lek had broken ribs after a training session with Hope got unruly and he stabbed her with his tusks. But all is forgiven now, and she adamantly refuses to use a metal hook to restrain him.
Article Length: 1602 words (approx.)
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