Samui Elephant Haven pleas for help

Mr. Suriya Sala-ngam is the owner and founder of Samui Elephant Haven – a Thai Elephant Care Center, for Elephants that have been abused or ill-treated.

The Thai Elephant Care Center covers approximately 60 rai. Currently, there are 19 elephants under care and 14 cows.

Mr Suriya Sala-ngam told a reporter yesterday, ‘the majority of his elephants are old or been previously been overworked.’ Such as elephants that are used to pull wood in the forest, been abused elephant or have got too old causing them to be deemed useless and left without care.

Samui Elephant Haven would then rescue the neglected elephants and treat them back into good health.

But since the spread of the Covid-19 outbreak, The elephant care centre has been severely affected, with little to no income and limited funds, they are now struggling to feed their elephants.

‘Each day, an elephant has to eat around 400 kilograms of food.’

Samui Elephant Haven was originally opened as a learning center for Thai elephant conservation. Previously Samui Elephant Haven received its main revenue from tourists and from philanthropists who visit, learn, study and learn the behaviour of elephants.

Due to the temporary lockdown, there has been no income coming in and this has caused adverse effects on elephant food supplies. In which 19 elephants require about 10 tons of food per day.

Before they were receiving food for the elephants from Phang Nga and Krabi province but the situation of the Covid-19 crisis has caused a widespread food shortage for elephant food.

There are about 70-80 elephants living on Koh Samui, therefore not enough elephant food on the island itself.

This has caused the elephant haven calls upon the people of Koh Samui people to donate elephant food such as bananas or banana trees, coconut trees and watermelons to donate for elephant food.

Elephant food can be donated at Samui Elephant Haven, Within Soi Khao Phra, Village No. 1, Bo Phut Subdistrict, Ko Ko Samui District

If you wish to help by donating food or travel money, to help pay for elephant food. You can contact Mr Suriya Sala-ngam on 09-1838-4341 for further information.

SOURCE:MGR Online

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