A mahout from Surin has decided to return to Thailand after he spent about six months to take care of Sak Surin, injured Thai elephant in Sri Lanka.
Thongsuk Mali-ngam was sent by Thai embassy in Colombo to help provide care to the elephant, given by the Thai government to Sri Lanka in 2001.
The mahout said he had to return for treatment of knee arthritis. It is still unclear when the Thai government will bring the elephant back for proper treatment and rehabilitation in Thailand.
He prepared the elephant, now staying at Dehiwala zoo for the return trip to Thailand and taught zoo keepers how Thai mahouts in Surin take care of the jumbo.
The elephant has a disabled left leg from hard work for 22 years since 2001. It suffers abscess in both sides of the hip. It should receive good care after retirement, said Thongsuk.
The male elephant is one of the three elephants that the Thai government gave to Sri Lanka in 2001. The Sri Lankan government assigned the Kande Vihara temple to keep Sak Surin and use it to parade Buddha relics in the annual Buddha relic cerebrations in Sri Lanka.
The Rally for Animal Rights and Environment (RARE), an animal protection organization in Sri Lanka, complained that the Sak Surin elephant was heavily used and was not treated properly.
The organization urged for the immediate medical treatment of the elephant.
The Thai embassy in Colombo brought Thai veterinarians and experts to check the elephant in Sri Lanka. The people said that it should be suspended from work and sent back to Thailand for treatment.
The elephant was sent to the Dehiwala Zoo for initial treatment and rehabilitation in November last year. Thai and Sri Lankan specialists took care of it there.
The embassy was coordinating with relevant organizations the issuance of a license to transport the elephant to Thailand (in compliance with the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora – CITES). It is expected the elephant to be returned to Thailand this year. (TNA)
