Remembering Mae Kham Geao
October 2nd four years ago, was Mae Kham Geao’s first day at ENP. She arrived in the afternoon and was tired from the stress of the transport. She did not have any fresh wounds but was a bit on the thin side. Her demeanor was slow and lethargic. Mae Kham Geao moved in slow motion and for the first two days she did not even flap her ears. We wondered about this girl, who was not very old but had so little energy. She could barely lift her feet to take a step. On her first morning, she was led out to the river to take a drink and from there she could go where she pleased. ‘This is a new concept’ she must have thought, chain-free for the first time in maybe forever….
In no time a welcome party arrived. First on the scene was Mae Boon, mother of Aura. Mae Boon is an amazing elephant and gets along with most anyone. She is the perfect ice-breaker. Whether these two ladies knew each other from a past working engagement and were happy to see each other, or were just meeting for the first time is not known for sure. For over an hour the pair stood head to head, trunks entwined or alternately trunk draping, locked in a pachyderm embrace. The second elephant to come investigate the new arrival was Hope. Interesting interactions again commenced. At one point the trio stood in a tight triangle, the ends of their trunks all touching.
After weeks of patiently standing outside of Navann’s nursery, the door was finally opened allowing Mae Kham Paan entry, last Friday at around five in the afternoon. Mae Kham Paan (and Navann as well!) had been waiting for this moment for some time. They were so happy to finally be in the same space together, free to touch and caress at will. Within a few minutes Navann was suckling at Mae Kham Paan’s breast in hopes that there would be milk- but alas, there was only comfort. Mae Sri Prae was mildly cautious at first, but it was obvious that she welcomed the addition. The ladies shared grass, companionably sheltering Navann between them. The little bull used his trunk to sniff and touch his new auntie everywhere within reach. He immediately seemed to calm down. Mae Kham Paan had a look of total contentment and self satisfaction. She seemed to be thinking ‘It is about time I was let in here!’