Since 2003, the Brigitte Bardot Foundation actively supports “Friends of the Asian Elephants”, a Thai association for animal protection run by Soraida Salwala.
In 1994, the association built the first hospital for elephants. 600 tamed elephants have been cured to this day. They had suffered from ill-treatment (overexploited, underfed) and antipersonnel mines.
To support this unusual initiative, the BBF decided to finance the elephants’ food and will take five permanent residents in charge.
Although Thai elephants are worshiped, they have to struggle to survive. Indeed, only 5 000 individuals remain today, compared to the 40 000 that used to dwell in the country in 1960.
Two things provoked the tragedy : a massive deforestation and the activity of poachers who seek the ivory of their tusks and the genitals of the males.
Moreover, to supply zoos, circuses, and tourists who are eager to possess anything exotic or atypical, babies are captured and their mothers generally killed.
Wandering in the streets next to their begging owners, several elephants are also hit by trucks. The association is planning to get a large piece of land to offer them a well deserved retirement.
Soraida can evidently count on the Foundation to support her in this enterprise, as was the case for last month’s purchase of an ultra-sonic instrument designed to diagnose eye symptoms, fractures and pregnant females.
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