Posts Tagged ‘Thailand’

FAE’s Mobile Vet Clinic

Monday, February 8th, 2010
FAE's Mobile Vets visit an Elephant camp in Thailand

FAE's Mobile Vets visit an Elephant camp in Thailand

In addition to providing comprehensive veterinary care at the Friends of the Asian Elephant (FAE) Elephant Hospital in Lampang, Thailand, FAE also offers a Mobile Vet Clinic for elephant owners and camps that cannot afford to bring their elephants to Soraida Salwala (the Founder), and the vets, Dr. Preecha and Dr. Kay.

Dr. Kay treats a patient during her Mobile Vet visit.

Dr. Kay treats a patient during her Mobile Vet visit.

While one of FAE’s goals is to recognize working elephants under the Endangered Species Act in Thailand–currently elephants in captivity are considered livestock and not an “endangered species”, even if they were originally caught in the wild–FAE’s overwhelming concern is to treat and protect every elephant from illness, abuse and neglect.

Dr. Kay with Boonthong and her baby

Dr. Kay with Boonthong and her baby

On January 10, 2010, Dr. Kay (in the green) visited this elephant camp and treated work elephants at an Elephant Camp.

dr-kay_mobile-vet_v2_2010_01_23

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Action Alert: Sign Petition to Save Thai Elephants

Thursday, December 24th, 2009

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ACTION ALERT: With elephant logging now illegal in Thailand, many owners look to the tourism industry for income.  There are now over 2,000 elephants working in tourist treks, as street beggars, or performing in elephant circus shows in Thailand.  While some tourists think it is fun and exciting to see an elephant up close, feed her bananas, or walk through the jungle on her back, the reality is much different.

The elephants are not only overworked, but they also suffer injuries from performances or car accidents, water poisoning from dirty city water, starvation, and the list goes on… But tourist awareness and education will decrease the demand for working elephants.

The Lonely Planet Guides are printed in 8 languages and are one of the most popular traveler’s guides. This petition demands the addition of the dark side of the elephants tourism industry in the company’s books, so that travelers may make conscious decisions before unknowingly supporting any abuse.

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Baby Mosha’s New Leg

Tuesday, December 22nd, 2009

December 22, 2009– Baby Mosha, a 3-year old Asian Elephant who stepped on a landmine when she was 7-months old, will receive a new prosthetic limb from the Prostheses Foundation at FAE’s Elephant Hospital on January 2, 2010.

Prostheses Foundation measures Mosha's leg before creating the mold.

Prostheses Foundation measures Mosha's leg before creating the mold.

On August 15, 2009, I filmed her receiving a prosthesis for The Eyes of Thailand documentary film, featuring Soraida Salwala and the Friends of the Asian Elephant (FAE) Elephant Hospital in Lampang, Thailand.

Getting a mold of Mosha's leg.

Mosha has grown so much since August that the Prostheses Foundation returned today to make a mold of Mosha’s leg in order to build a new prosthesis, which they will present to her as a New Year present.

As a permanent resident of FAE, Mosha will continue to receive prosthetic limbs throughout her lifetime, which can be as long as 60-80 years.

The Prostheses Foundation will use the plaster mold to build a new prosthesis for Mosha.

The Prostheses Foundation unpacks the new prosthesis foot pad for Motala.

While the Prostheses Foundation was at the Elephant Hospital, they checked on Motala and will change her prosthesis’ foot pad on January 2, 2009, also.

-Windy Borman

Producer, Writer and Director, The Eyes of Thailand

P.S. The Eyes of Thailand is currently accepting donations to edit and distribute the film in 2010.  You can make a tax-deductible donation through the film’s fiscal sponsor, the San Francisco Film Society, by clicking here.

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Baby Namfon and Aunty Motala

Wednesday, September 9th, 2009
Baby Namfon walks down to her new nursery near Motala.

Baby Namfon walks down to her new nursery near Motala.

Soraida emailed the following update on Baby Namfon, who was rejected by her mother and has been nursed at the FAE Elephant Hospital since this spring, and Motala, the elephant landmine survivor who received her her first prosthetic limb on August 15, 2009–10 years after stepping on a landmine:

Motala is quite interested in Baby Namfon. When Namfon walked down, the baby was only looking for what was new to her. Now, Motala is always watching the Baby and Namfon is fond of playing in the bath tub. She is getting to know Aunty Motala, standing there, talking together and climbs into the bath once again. What a sight!

Asso. Prof. Therdchai and his team [from the Prostheses Foundation] will be here this afternoon to work on Motala’s Prosthetic Leg. Hope the noises from the machines would not scare the Baby.

Soraida

Soraida, Motala and Asso. Prof. Therdchai all appear in the documentary, The Eyes of Thailand.  We are currently raising post-production funds to distribute the film in 2010.  Please continue to support our efforts by making a tax-deductible donation through the film’s fiscal sponsor, The San Francisco Film Society, by clicking here.

Thank you,

Windy Borman

Producer, Writer and Director, The Eyes of Thailand

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Bangkok’s Elephants: Their real living and working conditions

Wednesday, May 13th, 2009

Soraida Salwala, founder of the Friends of the Asian Elephant (FAE) Elephant Hospital in Thailand is quoted here speaking out against the living and working conditions of Bangkok’s roaming elephants.  To read the full article, please visit:

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5h8dCCi974f5uFo_JkK5B71KH6FLA

Elephant handler on the streets of Bangkok

Elephant handler on the streets of Bangkok

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Thai government considers banning export of elephants

Wednesday, May 13th, 2009

According to this China Post article from April 25, 2009, the Thai government has tabled a proposed ban on the export of Thai Asian elephants due to the staggering decline of both domesticated and wild elephants in the country.  They currently estimate that over 200 elephants are roaming in Bangkok.

To read the full article, please visit:

http://www.chinapost.com.tw/asia/thailand/2009/04/25/205635/Thai-gov%27t.htm

Sincerely,

Windy Borman

Producer, Writer and Director, “The Eyes of Thailand”

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Sawadee Ka!

Wednesday, May 6th, 2009

In 2007, I had the opportunity to travel to northern Thailand with the director of the Chiang Mai Project, Sherie Guilliat.  I had a feeling that the trip would be a pivotal event in my career as a documentary filmmaker, but I had no idea how inspired I would be to spread the word about the plight of the Thai Asian Elephants upon my return.  I owe that to my interview with Soraida Salwala and the footage of her patients at FAE’s Asian Elephant Hospital.  After one viewing of the film’s trailer, I hope you can see why this film has become a labor of love!

My goal for the “The Eyes of Thailand” is to advance Asian Elephant conservation by motivating the international community to pass protection laws in Thailand that align with FAE’s mission to save every elephant in Thailand from abuse, injury, and exportation.  Asian Elephants are already classified as endangered, but if laws protecting them are not created (and enforced) immediately, the entire species will become extinct within the next 50 years!  This will have devastating effects on the environment, as well as the social and cultural structure of the country.  Consequently, D.V.A. Productions has partnered with Soraida Salwala to provide a weekly blog about FAE’s progress (which you can read in “Notes from Soraida”) and Creative Narrations, a non-profit multimedia community building consulting agency, to develop supplemental curriculum for grades 3-12 in U.S. and Thai schools—because little activists become big activists!

We have the plan and the passion to make this vision come to fruition, now we ask you to help supply the means.  Please make a tax-deductible donation to “The Eyes of Thailand” today through the film’s fiscal sponsor, the San Francisco Film Society: http://www.sffs.org/donate/donate-now.aspx?pid=47.  Every little bit helps bring us one step closer to completing the film and educating the world about the plight of the Asian Elephants.  Thank you.

Please continue to follow our progress on this blog, Facebook, IndieGoGo and Twitter (@eyesofthailand).

Krup Kum Ka,

Windy Borman

Director Windy Borman filming at FAE in 2007.

Director Windy Borman filming at FAE in 2007.

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