Angry, Mistrustful Rescued Elephant Finds Peace and Friendship in Her New Home (PHOTOS)

Whenever an imperiled animal is taken out of their abusive situation – and finds love, care, and consideration in a reputable sanctuary – this is naturally regarded as a cause for celebration. However, what many people don’t realize is that even after they have been successfully transferred to their new home, that in itself is often only half the battle. Many new sanctuary residents, like baby orangutan Udin, continue to be weak, ill, or emotionally traumatized for quite some time after their arrival.

This was the case for Faa Sai, the young female elephant whose amazing story of hope and redemption will warm your heart. As soon as she came to live with the amazing team of staff and volunteers at the Elephant Nature Park (ENP), Thailand, her carers realized that they had quite a challenge on their hands.

This is a picture of Faa Sai on the day of her arrival at ENP. As you can see, she was tired, upset, and most likely felt that she would never trust another human again.

ENP staff said, “(When she) first arrived at ENP she was so aggressive and angry. On the day she arrived at our place, we took off the chain and let her legs free, but she seemed to think her legs were still chained. She did not walk as normal but she put her front legs together and jumped and walked like her legs were tied up.”

Little by little, however, this plucky girl was able to rediscover the simple delights of life: playtime, rolling in the mud, waving her trunk around…

She also began to open up to receiving love and companionship from her fellow elephants. According to her carers, “the herd and elephant nannies (were able to) help her forget her bad history.”

The older elephants soon taught her how to be happy once again.

Today, everyone at ENP is “really proud of her, as she is one of our kids that we have raised with love.”

Sniff … excuse us, Green Monsters, we think we may have gotten something in our eyes…

All image source: Elephant Nature Park