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Bangkok, 13 Aug (Xinhua) -- The climate in lampang province in northern Thailand is warm and humid, with its lush trees, and a large number of Asian elephants are inhabited here. The world's first elephant hospital, "Friends of Asian Elephants", is located here.
"I live here, the hospital is my home, the elephants are my children." Suraida Savara, 66, said walking down the hillside on crutches. As the founder of the "Friends of Asian Elephants" hospital, Suraeda and her colleagues have treated more than 5,000 Asian elephants in the past 30 years.
On August 6, Suraeda Sawara visits an injured elephant at the Friends of Asian Elephant Hospital in Lampang Province, Thailand. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Wang Teng
Speaking of the original intention of establishing the elephant hospital, Suraida said that when she was a child, she and her father met an elephant that was hit by a truck, and she wanted to take the elephant to the hospital for treatment, and her father told her that the elephant was too big to be treated by the hospital. "Eventually the elephant died, and it stayed with me."
One day in 1993, when Suraida witnessed an elephant slipping and falling from a hillside, she called the local Wildlife Conservation Association for help, and the reply was that elephants die every day.
"Since no one is willing to treat elephants, do it yourself." With this obsession, Suraida, with all his savings, traveled from Bangkok to the remote Lampang Province, facing the world's largest land animal, and carrying the "half of the sky" to treat elephants with the flexible shoulders of women.
On August 6, at the "Friends of Asian Elephants" Elephant Hospital in Lampang Province, Thailand, Suraida Savara introduced the prosthesis made for elephants. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Wang Teng
The elephant Mosha, who broke his right front leg when he was 7 months old, was once the youngest "patient" in the "Friends of Asian Elephants" hospital, and now he has been using a prosthesis for 15 years.
"We saved Mosha, but it stood on 3 legs, sometimes only with the help of its nose to support its body." To get Mosha back on her feet, Suraida and plastic surgeons in Thailand designed a prosthetic leg for Mosha, and in 2007 Mosha became the world's first elephant to use a prosthetic limb.
"Seeing an elephant with a broken leg is like seeing myself." Suraida said she grew up with systemic lupus erythematosus and struggled to walk away from crutches, so she was better able to appreciate the physical and psychological pain that Mosha endured.
"Stand firm, stand firm, don't fall." Surada shouted at Mosha. Mosha, who kept shaking her body, seemed to understand the words and immediately quieted down.
Suraida said she also frequently "called" Mosha during her business trips, and mosha was emotionally unstable because she was hurt as a child, but would calm down as soon as she heard her voice. "Elephants are not as strong inside as physically, and many times they look like children." Suraida said.
Veterinarians comfort an injured elephant at the "Friends of Asian Elephants" Elephant Hospital in Lampang Province, Thailand, on Aug. 6. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Wang Teng
Asian elephants have been listed as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, and wild Asian elephants are estimated to be only about 40,000. Over the years, in addition to treating sick and wounded elephants, Suraeda has also campaigned for an end to the abuse and trafficking of Asian elephants.
A few years ago, in order to prevent elephant traffickers from illegally selling Thai elephants abroad, Suraeda and elephant conservationists used their bodies to block elephant carts, and although the elephants were eventually retained, they became the target of revenge by many elephant traffickers.
"Illegal elephant trafficking is very profitable, so the elephant traffickers have threatened me many times, and once they even broke my ribs with their cars." Suraida said she told the elephant traffickers that as long as she lived, they would never be allowed to trade illegally.
In addition to the threat to personal safety, the elephant hospital's operating expenses also put surada under pressure.
This is a drone photo of the "Friends of Asian Elephants" Elephant Hospital in Lampang Province, Thailand, on August 6. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Wang Teng
"At 'Friends of Asian Elephants' hospital, all treatment and medicines are free, and sometimes even the cost of transporting elephants to medical treatment has to be paid for by the hospital." Suraida said hospital expenses cost nearly 10 million baht (about 1.92 million yuan) a year.
2017 was the most difficult year for the elephant hospital, as Suraeda had to announce the temporary closure of the elephant hospital due to a lack of funds. After this matter was reported by the media, caring people sent charcoal in the snow. "In a matter of days, our account balance changed from 50 baht to 40 million baht." There are also donations from China, Suraida said.
"I am very grateful for the donations of Chinese caring people and appreciate China's care for elephants." Su Laida told reporters that last year, Yunnan Asian elephants moved north, she has been "chasing more" every day, along the way Chinese people left food for elephants, but also used drones and other high-tech means to track and observe elephants, which surprised her.
Suraida said that whether in Thailand or China, people's love for elephants is common. "I'm not alone in guarding the elephants."