Rich – the baby elephant

Once upon a time in the Thai forest an elephant. They used to say the forests are a safe place for elephants and it made them happy. But even if our baby elephant was in the forest, he never saw how the sun light falls through the leaves, he never knew the sound of the birds, he never counted the stars on a dry, clear night.  

He only knew the people of the forest and his mother. The people from the forest stared at him from 10 meters away. And they were laughing, clapping, standing, and shouting too. But these people weren’t there all the time. They somehow disappeared after they laughed while the baby elephant did his tricks. Other types of people where all the time with him. The ones with the sticks. The ones to fear, but the ones who also brought him food. The ones who thought him how to steal, how to run; the ones who never laughed.

And he always had his mother. The most loved elephant mother, because she was his mother, because she taught him how to laugh, and she told him stories of Thai forest and land. And she told him not to think all the time about people with sticks, and that there are in the world other types of people too. 

When the good people arrived to bring him to a happier place, they took his mother first. And the baby elephant cried. He didn’t want to move anymore and he started to forget about the stories his mother told him. Until one day, when the good people got him too. They put him in a car and drove for a long long time. 

Only 1 hour away from Chiang Mai his mother and his new home were waiting for him. A place called Maerim Elephant sanctuary where other 4 elephants were waiting for him. And his new home had people too. People like pong and D who fed, bath and play with him. His new home had a river, a pool, bananas, and free space. No more imaginary thai forest, no more people who only laughed, and no more sticks.

And most of all, the most loved mother in the world was there too.

Our baby elephant, rescued from the circus, needed to be accepted by the other four elephants. He had to do his magic, but he also was scared. He only knew to make people laugh, how was he going to make elephants laugh? 

Encouraged by his mother, supported by the good people and with his genuine energy, the baby elephant was step step accepted by the group. He got an adoptive mother too, and new friends, and people who love him every day. And now he can see the stars on a dry clear night, he hears the birds and the insects, and most of all, he plays in the mud pool.

This is a story of Risk – only 2 years old elephant rescued and bought by Maerim Elephant Sanctuary. He grew only in captivity, so it would be difficult for him to live in complete freedom. But at this sanctuary his has the time of his life. You can see him in most of the pictures.

Watch out, he loves stealing bananas from your pockets!