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Saturday, December 24, 2005

Plai Srisakorn Found

Mor Somchai calls to report that Plai Srisakorn has been tracked and found at Mae Wong forest, Kamphaeng Petch. He appears to have some minor wounds and Mor Somchai believes some look like gunshot wounds. We are please that he has been found. Since his companion, Plai Song, has been found dead with the tusks removed in the same forest several months ago, we have been very concerned about Plai Srisakorn. Apparently lonely and becoming adolecent he has been trampling villagers fields and engaging in other misdemeanors. From his records, he was shot while he was a baby and still has trauma from the incident. He was presented to Her Majesty the Queen in 2000. Last year the Foundation moved Plai Song and Plai Srisakorn from Lampang to Mae Wong Forest to be placed under the Forestry's care. Since last month we have requested the Forestry Department that Plai Srisakorn be tranferred back into our custody and that we would relocate him to Sublangka and try to reintregrate him with the elephants there. Permission has just been granted on Thursday and Mor Somchai will move him on Monday once he gets elephant transportation papers. Plai Srisakorn will be reintegrated with our other elephants according to the 4 step procedure. First he will be located by himself at a distance, about 2 kilometers, from the rest of the elephants. Here he will learn through ultra sound the number and characteristics of the elephants in his vicinity. Secondly, after a week, he will be moved closer so that he can hear the other elephants and possibly smell their scent. In the third week, he will be move closer so that he will be able to see some of the other elephants. We will closely observe Plai Srisakorn's reactions during this time. If they are favorable, in the fourth week we will introduce him to Plai Somchai, a male adolescent that is in the same age bracket. If that is successful, then we hope that Plai Somchai will bring Plai Srisakorn to meet with the other elephants in the order and ranking that Plai Somchai sees fit.

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