Mee Chai never had the chance at the life of a free elephant. But after 37 years of being forced to work in the logging and tourist industries, she was rescued last week by Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand (WFFT). Mee Chai will live out her life at an elephant sanctuary, free of chains forever.
The beginning of life for a working elephant like Mee Chai is literal torture. They are taken as babies and forced to undergo beatings, starvation, chains, and sometimes being burned by fire. This is done to break their spirit and contort the minds and bodies of these vastly strong and intelligent creatures, bending them to the will of humans.
Mee Chai, her spirit broken, was put to work in logging camps in Myanmar. She faced hours on end of pulling, pushing, and carrying logs through the forest. Controlled by bullhooks, long, sharp pieces of metal that handlers use too hook around the ears or beat and stab the elephants in order to control them, working elephants are at the mercy of the humans using them for labor.
Then something happened to Mee Chai that made her life even more miserable: a tree fell on her and broke her foot. Given no time or medical attention to heal, she was forced to continue her work in constant pain. Her foot mended into a deformity and would never be the same. No longer productive as a logging elephant, Mee Chai was sold into the tourist industry in Thailand. Now forced to give ride after ride to tourists, there was no relief for her or her foot.
Mee Chai / Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand
After 37 years in these conditions, Mee Chai has been given another life. Rescued by Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand, she will spend her remaining years in a refuge with other elephants. She will never have to pull another log or give another ride again.
A popular tourist attraction, elephant rides are all too common in Southeast Asia. Most people don’t realize the brutality of training, the tedium of life, and the chains and bullhooks that make up the life of the creatures they sit upon. Elephants are extremely intelligent, sensitive, and social animals. To be taken away from their mother and deprived of a tight knit group is psychologically damaging. The constant repetitive movements of walks cause abscesses and arthritis. Though huge and strong, elephants backs are not evolved to carry weight and many suffer from years of pressure from gear and people placed upon them.
Mee Chai / Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand
More awareness must be made to help elephants like Mee Chai. Share this happy ending with others and remind people that riding elephants is not a way to spend your vacation.
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I read your post and wished I’d wrettin it
YAY ANOTHER POSTING OF GOOD NEWS!!! THESE ARE THE ONLY ONES WE SHOULD SEE!!!
Thank God! If only this sweet elephant could have been released sooner, but it’s better than nothing. God bless this elephant and all those who rescued her.
Thanks for writing such an eadn-to-unserstayd article on this topic.
Wonderful news! Many more years in health and happiness for Mee Chi ?
Thank you Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand
Now she can just be an elephant, along with other elephants – they’re such social creatures.
AS—–” SO THAT YOU DO”——–“SO YOU WILL RECEIVE”….”GOES AROUND/”COMES AROUND”
Thailand, the Mecca for pedophiles and animal abusers.
Mee Chai, I am happy you never have to give rides again. Hope you heal nicely and enjoy your freedom in your new home. I love you, Mee Chai !
Debbie – I could not have said it better. To save one elephant (suffering from an untreated injury and resultant painful deformity) is good – but her abusers will simply replace her with another abused elephant, and the cycle of abuse will just carry on. So much more work must still be done to rescue these sensitive, intelligent and loving animals. Everyone should read “The Elephant Whisperer” by the late Lawrence Anthony to understand what elephants are really like.
Its about time that all Elephants were given their freedom from being abused and suffering brain dead’s idiots need to ride them and torture them. This has got to stop. This is animal abuse and elephants who are forced to work in this way have a life of hell on this planet. We need to celebrate the freedom of all elephants. There is still more work to be done.
PGod takes of his animals why can’t we take care of ours
Thank you for this happy ending!
These magnificent animals MUST NOT be abused nor exploited in the first place — build carriages with wheels : this should do the trick to lead tourists around — elephants’ torment & suffering MUST be BANNED and finally come to an end!
These magnificent animals MUST NOT be abused nor exploited in the first place — build carriages with wheels : this should do the trick to lead tourists around — elephants’ torment & suffering MUST be BANNED and finally come to an end!
alleluja , some good news among all this animal abuse….a good relief….
Each & every single elephant needs to be rescued from any working business including rides for tourists. I hate the fact that these magnificent giants are treated so inhumanely.
Their intelligence, compassion, memory is greater than ours.
We are no longer human.. We are monsters.
I thank the few real humans left to help our beautiful animals. ❤️?❤️
More and more, they all need to liberated. Keep up the great work, we are praying for your success.
HAPPY DANCE FOR ELEPHANT MEE CHAI,! GOD BLESS YOU SWEEET ELEPHANT! NOW IT’S ALL THE OTHERS
EVERYWHERE TIME TO BE RESCUED AND SAVED!
THANK YOU WILDLIFE FRIENDS FOUNDATION FOR ALL YOU DO, YOU ALL ROCK!
Que je suis contente que cette merveille ait été sauvé de cette vie de misère. Longue vie plein de bonheur à cette éléphante
Bless you Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand.
Thank you God and the rescuers for getting her to safety.
Boycott the circus and anywhere animals are used inhumanly.
Beaten, starved, set on fire and hit with bull hooks – only Satan would do this to an animal.
I hope she has a long happy life and enjoys her well deserved freedom..!
Mee Chai is free, thank God. Reedeming tens of thousands (mainly in Asia) of captured and suffering elephants to go.
WONDERFUL PEOPLE WHO SAVED MEE CHAI….IF ONLY THOUSANDS MORE PEOPLE COULD BE MADE AWARE OF THE INTENSE SUFFERING & HARSH CRUELTY THESE POOR ELEPHANTS HAVE TO ENDURE ON A DAILY BASIS…
PLEASE MAKE PUBLICITY ABOUT THEIR FATE SO THAT HOPEFULLY MORE CAN BE SAVED & MOVED TO A SANCTUARY …… PLEASE
I am so happy Mee Chai will no longer live in pain. Enjoy, little one (or should I say, big one). Please everyone share this story on your social media, it’s such a good way to reach a lot of people, and sadly the cruel way elephants are so-called “trained” has been a well-kept secret. With our help – no more.
WE HAVE TO GET THE INFORMATION OUT THERE ABOUT HOW THE ELEPHANTS ARE TRAINED TO GIVE THE RIDES TO THESE UNSUSPECTING TOURISTS! Just because we animal lovers treat all animals with respect, others certainly do not! I wish those loggers had to work with a broken foot! So glad that Mee Chai will live out her life in a sanctuary. A BIG THANK YOU TO WILDLIFE FRIENDS THAILAND FOR THIS RESUCE.
Thank you for rescuing Mee Chai, and other elephants. Hope all other elephants and animals treated like this get rescue. Thank you to all who help the animals.
Ma meno male, ma magari si riuscisse a salvare tutti gli animali del mondo
Praise the Lord. I wish that all elephants were freed from cruelty and abuse.I pray for that daily.
Thank God she was rescued. Now let’s hope she never ever has to go back to that life again.
I am so glad that Mee Chai was rescued and will now live a life of freedom. Those who abused her should have bullhooks used on them. See how they like it.
Elephants need to be protected so glad there are organizations like this that rescue them!
that’s wonderful news. I yearn for the day when no animals are abused for profit or entertainment.
Very good news. Thank you for your work
Thank heavens for good news after a week of terrible new of animal deaths, torture, felon animal abusers etc.
I am so grateful to those that could make the trip and care for her unchained. Made years stream down my cheeks.
Namaste?
I could read a book about this without finding such real-world aphosacper!