Author: Miao Chao Du Xiaoxiao
The Asian elephant is the largest terrestrial animal in Asia and the "king of the rainforest."
But their survival will also face the risks of accidental injury and infection.
In order to protect the Asian elephants, China established an Asian elephant breeding and rescue center in Yunnan.
The picture shows the Asian elephant receiving rescue at the Chinese Asian Elephant Breeding and Rescue Center.
Miao Chao photo
Recently, the reporter walked into the Asian Elephant Provenance Breeding and Rescue Center. Baby elephants caught by iron clamps, female elephants injured by accidents, male elephants injured by fighting for mates, orphan elephants abandoned by the elephant herd... Once physically and mentally wounded, I came here with fear and pain. Under the care and warmth of a group of "elephant fathers", their wounds were healed and the hope of survival was rekindled.
Today, I will share with you the warm stories between these human elephants.
"Ranran" once caught by iron clamps "In 2019, "Ranran" gave birth to the first baby "Seven Princess", and I was promoted to "Grandpa Elephant"!" Xiong Chaoyong proudly introduced to reporters that he is an Asian elephant "Ran Ran" "Like Dad".
The picture shows the rescue team working together to rescue the injured Asian elephant "Ranran" in 2005.
Photo courtesy of the Asian Elephant Provenance Breeding and Rescue Center
In July 2005, the staff of the Wild Elephant Valley Scenic Spot in Xishuangbanna, Yunnan, found a baby elephant with its left hind leg clamped by a trap in the river channel under the observatory. It was on the side of the river channel 3 to 4 meters away from the elephant herd. Stop shaking and hurt his leg.
The staff of the reserve and the forest police rushed to confirm that this is a baby elephant about 3 years old. If the iron clip is not removed in time, its wound may be infected and cause its death.
In order to rescue this Asian elephant, which was later called "Ranran", Xishuangbanna organized a rescue team of nearly 100 people, formulated a rescue plan for medical treatment after capturing with anesthesia, and successfully escorted "Ranran" to the rescue center.
"When I first saw it, its wound was very serious. It was very thin and sad." Xiong Chaoyong recalled. At that time, "Ranran" only ate corn. The nutrition was not enough to support the wound recovery, so Xiong Chaoyong went to the farmer's market to buy it. Come to apples, bananas, mix cornmeal to feed it, like caring for human children, try to supplement it with nutrition.
The picture shows the Asian elephant "Ranran" and its baby elephant.
Photo courtesy of the Asian Elephant Provenance Breeding and Rescue Center
The wound treatment period was from August to September that year, which was the thunderstorm season in Xishuangbanna.
"Ran Ran" was painful and frightened, and began to miss being like a mother, and kept "howling" like a human child.
In order to appease "Ranran", Xiong Chaoyong moved the bed next to the elephant house. "It smells bad and there are all kinds of mosquitoes. To be honest, it's particularly uncomfortable."
Whenever "Ran Ran" hissed, Xiong Chaoyong stroked its forehead and nose, humming a song to it.
After three days and three nights, "Ran Ran" slowly calmed down.
"It has a sense of security in its heart, and I have truly become its'like father'."
From the rescue until now, Xiong Chaoyong has been taking care of it. Now Ranran is 18 years old, and his body is basically recovering without any worries. He is accompanied by "Papa Elephant" for field training every day, but he was severely injured by the iron clamp. The leg often shatters during walking, which has some influence on its normal life.
It is worth mentioning that in 2015, when Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, UK visited Wild Elephant Valley, he made a special trip to visit Ranran.
"Pingping" undergoing the largest gynecological operation on land "Pingping is a female elephant rescued in Mengman Town. We guess that it was attacked by a male elephant with ivory, and the ivory poked her buttocks." Xiong Chaoyong is not only "Ranran" "Papa Elephant", he is also very familiar with all the rescued Asian elephants in the center.
The picture shows the Asian elephant "Ping Ping" undergoing surgical treatment in 2007.
Photo courtesy of the Asian Elephant Provenance Breeding and Rescue Center
In September 2007, when a forest ranger in the Mengman Reserve of Xishuangbanna found "flat", his buttocks were severely injured, infected, and inflamed, his body was thin, and he kept screaming.
It unscrupulously rushed into the rice fields and destroyed the crops... Later, a rescue team composed of personnel from the reserve, medical experts, forest police and other personnel rushed to carry out the rescue.
After the rescue team put the "Pingping" anesthetized, they were transferred to the Asian Elephant Provenance Breeding and Rescue Center for further treatment.
Xiong Chaoyong said, “We invited very experienced gynecologists from Kunming and Xishuangbanna, and combined with our veterinary team to perform the two largest gynecological operations on land.” But because its urethral injury was very serious, although the surgery was successful After success, the sequelae of urinary incontinence are still left.
The picture shows the restoring Asian elephant "Ping Ping".
Photo courtesy of the Asian Elephant Provenance Breeding and Rescue Center
After the wound of "Pingping" healed, the "Papa Elephants" took it into the forest for rehabilitation training.
Later, "Ping Ping" and "Ran Ran" became good sisters. After "Ran Ran" gave birth to the elephant baby "Seven Princesses", because "Ran Ran" had no experience in being a mother, "Ping Ping" often helped take care of the elephant baby. "Ran Ran" has time to go to the forest to feed in order to produce more milk to nurture the "Seven Princesses".
"Kun Six" falling down a steep slope
In February 2010, along the Kunluo Highway, more than ten kilometers from the Wild Elephant Valley in Xishuangbanna, an adult Asian elephant male fell from a steep slope more than 80 meters high.
It was seriously injured and could not stand up.
Xishuangbanna National Nature Reserve immediately organized an ambulance team of nearly 50 people to rescue.
"Kunliu was about 30 years old when he was rescued. We surveyed the scene and found a lot of fighting marks. It was supposed to be fighting for mating rights. He was pushed by other elephants and rolled from an 80-meter-high steep slope to the bottom of the valley. He was seriously injured. "Xiong Chaoyong recalled that there was a large pool of blood at that time, its body temperature was too high, and it was still bleeding in his right eye and mouth.
The picture shows the Asian elephant "Kun Six" after recovering health, living in the rescue center.
Photo courtesy of the Asian Elephant Provenance Breeding and Rescue Center
After the rescue team treated the wound for it, the elephant was simply fixed in place for treatment, and a tent was set up nearby to guard it.
After two days and two nights of on-site rescue, its spirit improved slightly, and then it was transferred to the Asian Elephant Provenance Breeding and Rescue Center to continue treatment.
Because it was found on the sixth day of the first month of the lunar calendar by the Kunluo Highway, everyone named it "Kunliu".
"In the later rescue, we need to feed drugs to treat internal injuries. This is a technical job. We will hide the drugs in food, such as corn and bananas that it loves." Xiong Chaoyong told reporters that after a period of treatment , "Kun Six" various physiological indicators are getting better, but the right eye injured during the fight is blind. "Now the'Elephant Dad' who takes care of it is very careful, always standing on its left side to take care of it so that it can be taken care of at any time. see."
The little lone elephant "Xiaoqiang" abandoned by the elephant group "Xiaoqiang" was once an orphan, only 8 months old when he was rescued.
In May 2015, forest rangers found a baby elephant wandering alone by a small river at the edge of the nature reserve in Mengyang Town, Xishuangbanna.
Xiong Chaoyong said, "When the forest ranger found it, it stayed in a small place. He didn't dare to come out at noon. It came out at night to find something to eat."
The picture shows the small lone elephant "Xiao Qiang" discovered by a forest ranger in 2015.
Photo courtesy of the Asian Elephant Provenance Breeding and Rescue Center
Later, the forest ranger continued to observe the orphan elephant.
During the observation period, an elephant group passed through the activity area of "Xiaoqiang", which made the rangers overjoyed, hoping that the elephant group would accept it and take it away.
The little lone elephant also followed the elephant group all the way, but after a deeper observation, the forest ranger found that the elephant group did not intend to accept the little lone elephant.
"The little guy has been trying to blend in, trying hard to please the elephant herd, but at the time it was only 8 months old and still breastfeeding. Whenever it wants to drink milk, the female elephant attacks it." Bear Chaoyong told reporters that a week later, the elephant herd left the Wild Elephant Valley and the little lone elephant was abandoned again.
The picture shows the grown-up "Xiaoqiang" and his "Like Dad".
Photo courtesy of the Asian Elephant Provenance Breeding and Rescue Center
When the forest ranger observed it again, the little lone elephant was already covered with parasites, and the symptoms of weight loss became more and more obvious. Without the ability to live independently, his life was in jeopardy.
After that, Xiong Chaoyong and the others immediately reported the situation to the local forestry authority and implemented rescue and shelter for the little lone elephant.
After receiving the rescue, the little lone elephant gradually recovered his health under the meticulous treatment and care of the doctor and "Elephant Dad". Everyone also called him "Xiaoqiang".
Xiong Chaoyong said, “What makes everyone very happy is that Xiaoqiang is no longer an orphan in the center, because at that time, Ranran had no baby, and both Ranran and Pingping would both rush to bring Xiaoqiang. Treat it as your own treasure."
The baby elephant "Sheep Niu" sent by the elephant herd to be rescued by humans
"Yang Niu" is the "net celebrity elephant" of the Asian elephant breeding and rescue center.
Three years ago, a video was widely circulated on the Internet: When "Elephant Dad" took "Sheep Niu" to the forest for rewilding training, the little elephant stretched its front legs, lay down, touched its belly, and stomped. After a short slip, I slid down the hillside.
This slip didn't seem too enjoyable, so I stood up, found a good position, and slipped again.
The life of this little Asian elephant that once made a splash on the Internet was once in jeopardy.
In August 2015, when it was just one month old, it staggered into a family in Simaogang Town, Pu'er City.
The frightened villagers found that the baby elephant was seriously injured and immediately called the police for help.
The picture shows the rescue center's treatment of a "goat girl" whose life is at risk in 2015.
Photo courtesy of the Asian Elephant Provenance Breeding and Rescue Center
After it was taken back to the center by rescuers, it was diagnosed that the baby elephant's umbilical cord wound was purulent, causing abdominal infection and severe ulceration.
After the operation on the baby elephant, "Elephant Dad" placed it in a separate small room, and accompanies it on a 24-hour shift, recording its eating, drinking, and feeding, and feeding it with goat's milk.
After a long period of meticulous care, the little elephant finally broke through the ghost gate and gradually grew up in a healthy manner. He is now 6 years old.
Since he was born in the Year of the Goat and grew up drinking goat's milk, the "Elephant Dads" named it "Yang Niu". Every year on August 12th, World Elephant Day also celebrates its birthday.
"Sheep Niu" has lived with humans since she was a child. When she grows up, she doesn't want to come into contact with other elephants, and other elephants also dislike the smell of sheep and don't care about it.
"Elephant Dad" is anxious about this. The elephant itself has many jungle survival skills that humans cannot teach it.
Xiong Chaoyong told reporters, "For example, elephants know which herbs can cure diarrhea and which can cure abdominal distension. This can only be learned when an adult elephant goes to the wild."
The picture shows the "Sheep Niu" after recovering health.
Photo courtesy of the Asian Elephant Provenance Breeding and Rescue Center
As a result, the "elephant fathers" smeared the "yangniu" with the urine of an adult elephant, covering it with the smell of sheep mutton, and adapted to it for another three or four months before an adult elephant would accept it.
Recalling when he rescued it, Xiong Chaoyong told reporters that the villagers who had heard the police to rescue the "Yang Niu" said that the villagers heard the low call of the elephant herd the night before the rescue. Perhaps it was the elephant herd where the "Yang Niu" came from. The trust in humans was sent to ask humans to help this poor baby elephant.
"Finally, humans did not live up to the trust of elephants."
The picture shows "Elephant Dad" Xiong Chaoyong.
Photo courtesy of the Asian Elephant Provenance Breeding and Rescue Center
The Asian Elephant Provenance Breeding and Rescue Center in Yunnan, China is actually one of the 15 species rescue projects in the Wildlife Conservation and Nature Reserve Construction Project in China.
Since its establishment in 2008, it has participated in the rescue of 23 wild Asian elephants more than 20 times, successfully rescued 11 elephants, and bred 9 artificial baby elephants.
Cleaning up feces, feeding food, physical examination records, bathing and observation... The Asian elephants currently in the center are all responsible for the diet and daily life of the 27 "elephant fathers".
In order to take good care of the Asian elephants, they spend more than 10 hours with the elephants every day.
The picture shows the "elephant fathers" taking this group of Asian elephants into the forest every day for wild training.
Photo courtesy of the Asian Elephant Provenance Breeding and Rescue Center
Nowadays, "Elephant Dads" take this group of Asian elephants into the forest every day and do more than 7 hours of rewilding training, hoping that they can return to the forest as soon as possible.