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.
Khun Prasop visits the Elephant Reintroduction Foundation offices and talks about our elephant in Sublangka. 1. Khun Prasob was responsible for treating Plai Srisakorn of shotgun wounds when he was two years old. Apparently, Plai Srisakorn attacked the poacher who shot and killed his mother and was shot three times. Khun Prasob spent many hours removing the shotgun pellets from Plai Srisakorn. Since he has known Plai Srisakorn since he was a baby, we have asked Khun Prasob to assist in rehabilitating him. 2. We asked Khun Prasob to help finding a matriach elephant, a big female of over 40 years of age with a dominant character, to be a leader of the elephants in Sublangka. 3. Khun Prasob proposed to undertake a research study of the elephant food and medicinal plants available in Sublangka. He said that during his visit two weeks ago, he and his staff were able to identify 15 plants that elephants liked to eat and 5 plants that elephants use for medicine by just walking 500 meters.
คุณประสพเยี่ยมมูลนิธิฯ สำนักงานกรุงเทพและได้พูดคุยเกี่ยวกับช้างในความดูแลของมูลนิธิฯ หัวข้อแรก คือ คุณประสพได้มีส่วนร่วมในการดูแลพลายศรีสาคร เมื่อในวัยเด็กเขาได้มีบาดแผลถูกยิงเพราะคนล่าสัตว์กำลังจะยิงแม่ของเขาและพลายศรีสาครพยายามขัดขวางจึงถูกยิงถึงสามนัดติดกัน คุณประสพใช้เวลานานเพื่อเอาลูกกระสุนออกจากร่างของพลายศรีสาคร และคุณประสพได้จัดหาที่อยู่อาศัยให้กับพลายน้อยตัวนี้อีกด้วย ต่อจากนั้น พวกเราได้ปรึกษาถึงการหาช้างเพศเมียอายุประมาณ40 ปีที่สามารถเป็นผู้นำโขลงได้ มีลักษณะเป็นผู้นำเพื่อดูแลช้างในซับลังกา ในท้ายที่สุด คุณประสพเสนอให้มีการศึกษาวิจัย อาหารช้างและพันธุ์พืชที่มีอยู่ในซับลังกา และเขาเสนอว่าเมื่อครั้งที่เข้าได้เข้าไปในซับลังกาสองสัปดาห์ก่อน เขาและเจ้าหน้าที่สามารถหาพืชถึง 15 ชนิดที่ช้างชอบและพืชสมุนไพรอีก 5 ชนิดในบริเวณ500 เมตร
