Boon Dwang was the last remaining elephant in a rural hill tribe village, located in Northern Thailand. Previously used to pull timber, she spent her days alone, tied to a tree. She was shackled - both her front feet in chains, on the edge of a barren forest. When the owner would walk her to have a drink, she was dragged around by a piece of rope, attached to a sharp hook, that was embedded into the back of her ear.

Once the forests were depleted and it became increasingly hard to find logging work, Boon Dwang was rented out to various tourist camps in Chiang Mai. Being worked non stop had left Boon Dwang worn down, depressed and defeated.

Her owners, a large family, knew that the time had come to let Boon Dwang go and they wanted to do better by her. After having her in their family for almost thirty years, They reached out to BLES for help, knowing that Boon Dwang would finally be free to be an elephant and that they themselves, a poor, hardworking family, would be treated fairly and with respect.

Boon Dwang’s plight touched me on such a deep level and I wasted no time in setting up the fundraiser to save her. Up in the hills of Northern Thailand, temperatures drop dramatically and winds get powerful. The image of her standing at the top of that hill, tied to that tree, shivering from the bitter cold and depressed, haunted me night, after night.

I also couldn’t stop thinking about the family and their young children, living in a broken down bamboo shack, with no electricity, no running water and no protection from the strong winds. Everyone has the right to be comfortable. To have a safe home to raise their children in and when the owners told us that all they wanted was to build a strong and stable home for their growing family, I knew we could help them.

We raised the funds needed to secure Boon Dwang’s future and additional funds to support the family and their community, in just a few days. I was so blown away by the solidarity shown by our online community and to see Boon Dwang’s plight being shared all over social media was incredible.

Christmas was drawing closer and my only wish was to give back to this family and their small community. Thanks to the incredible generosity of BLES supporters, we were able to donate solar lights, blankets, clothes, sports equipment, toys, games and so many snacks to the school in Boon Dwang’s village.

The rescue of Boon Dwang was joyous and full of Christmas Spirit. We had covered the Green Machine (our transportation truck) with tinsel, had bright red shirts made and of course , everyone was wearing Santa hats! Boon Dwang walked on to The Green Machine like a queen. She only needed some gentle encouragement from her owners and our mahouts, who worked together perfectly.
Once safely secured in the truck, Boon Dwang relaxed and seemed to enjoy the ride through the hills and bendy roads. The mahouts couldn’t believe how calm and composed Boon Dwang was throughout the ride!

As we drove through the hills, I watched Boon Dwang closely. She had a look of suspicion in her eyes and I wondered what she had been through, what she had suffered in her lifetime. Sometimes, that’s the hardest part of rescue - seeing the mental and physical scars, but never truly knowing how they got to be there. Not understanding how deep those scars are and if we will ever be able to help these sentient beings fully recover and let go of their painful pasts.

We arrived at BLES just as the sun was beginning to set and Boon Dwang walked off the truck, just as easily as she had walked on to it. No protest, no stress - no problem at all.

Her welcome feast was laid out for her in the quarantine area, but she chose to ignore it. Boon Dwang instead slowly walked around the perimeter of the quarantine area. She was suspicious - it was all brand new and she was trying to figure out if she could trust in her new environment. She walked around, the quarantine area several times, gently touching and smelling everything, occasionally pausing and then finally, after 45 minutes, she walked over to her fruit feast, stood still and stared at it.

Very slowly, she reached out with her trunk and carefully picked up a single piece of papaya, which she placed in her mouth. She held the papaya in her mouth for a few seconds. Her eyes were wide and it was as if she was waiting for someone to say something, to command her, or more than likely, forbid her from enjoying such a sweet treat. When no instruction came, she decided to go ahead and enjoy her papaya!

I sat on the floor watching her. She had so much self control, which saddened me. Most elephants are so excited to devour their welcome feast and they dive right in. But not Boon Dwang. It was as if she was nervous and didnt want to let her guard down.

A week after the rescue, Boon Dwang’s owners invited us back to their village and gifted us with handmade bags, freshly collected forest herbs and a lavish vegetarian lunch! They wanted to show us the work the had done on their new house and it was just so heartwarming to see a sturdy concrete structure in place and glass windows being installed.

It is still early days for Boon Dwang and she hasn’t really shown any interest in socialising with any of our other elephants yet. She is far too busy tearing down every banana tree she comes across and taking long, cooling soaks in the streams running through our property.

She is slow mover, taking her time with life, enjoying her own company and moving at her own pace and yes, she is finally starting to relax and let her hair down!

572 BLES followers made a choice to care enough and change the narrative for this brave girl. Because of you, those shackles were broken and she was set free - free to discover who and what she truly is - a strong and beautiful elephant!