DISCOVERING THE POOLS AT BAN TON SAE

In the central area of the site, several man-made pools were discovered – their former use being to irrigate the commercial rubber trees and other plants on the site, which have since been partially cleared as you will have read in our previous posts. We desperately want to make use of these pools, and to integrate them into the elephants’ natural habitat and provide them with an access for bathing and cooling as well as drinking. It is vital that Asian elephants have regular access to a large water source in order to hydrate properly, maintain a healthy skin condition, and of course to cool down as elephants are unable to sweat through the skin.

After our Technical Adviser, Lee Sambrook, discovered that there were three pools, not two as first assumed, a plan was formed to check the pools for wildlife before any work was carried out. We felt it was so important to understand the implications of disturbing the habitat, and the need to preserve and enhance the ecosystem as we undertake our work to restore the land.

The survey of the pools was undertaken by one of Phang Nga Elephant Park’s young but very enthusiastic Volunteers, Cameron Mays, who has had considerable previous experience in marine wildlife.

After visiting the site over a two-day period, Cameron  managed to find barbs, snails, shrimps and the occasional frog and lizard, and he was able to identify the fish as mainly gouramis, which are freshwater fish native to Asia and very common to this region. As part of the survey, it was necessary to compare our findings to pond life expected in Southern Thailand, which includes catfish, Snakehead and various Carp species, as well as the gouramis found by Cameron.

 

We hope this small survey will help us to continue to maintain our diverse wildlife residents once work has been completed. Meanwhile, if you feel you can help us, please think about giving just £25 to help make this a truly ecosensitive place for our elephant family.

Come back next week, to read another blog post on the new site….

 

 

 

 

 

HALF OF THE RUBBER TREES HAVE BEEN REMOVED

We are already in the first week of April and since breaking ground last week at the new site, half of the rubber trees have already been cut down. Throughout this progress we have discovered even more plants and trees, such as banana, mango and even the occasional jack-fruit tree.

Jack-fruit

We are exceptionally pleased with this discovery because the elephants will have a greater variety of food to enjoy whilst grazing. Some of the plants and trees will be relocated and replanted in other parts of the site for the benefit of the elephants. With half of the removal of rubber trees, the site has become open and it looks quite different, showing even more potential for the Home of Rest for Elephants (more about that soon!).

A local contractor has provided a construction excavator and a small team to help us clear the land. We have also started looking for a volunteer to help us examine the three man-made ponds at the site, to carry out a small survey to determine what species of animal may live in them.

Our immediate need will be to prevent erosion of the soil from the cleared land once the rainy season starts in May. This means planting trees and grass.

 

Can you buy a tree for us? For £25 you can have your own tree in your name or dedicated to a loved one. To plant a tree at Ban Ton Sae click here

Come back next week, to read another blog post on the new site’s progress!

 

 

BREAKING GROUND AT THE NEW SITE!

The newly acquired 16 rai (6.5 acre) site at Ban Ton Sae was previously used as a rubber tree plantation, but it also has palms that are harvested for palm oil as well as natural durian and other fruit trees. There are three large man-made ponds at the site, which were used for irrigation and form a lovely feature of the surroundings. The site has challenging sloped land and quite undulating surfaces. There are only three areas on the site where the ground can be described as flat, which makes the planning process very interesting as we have to be creative with our ideas for the new terrain.

The planning for the site’s development is well underway and the start of the conversion process of the land has enabled it to become a suitable haven for elephants. People from the local community are being employed to cut down the rubber trees and remove them from the site. The timber will be sold to generate funds to help pay for the conversion of the land to a more ecofriendly system that will include planting the most appropriate flora for elephants to enjoy in a natural environment.

Here you can see photos of the new site just as we started to cut down the rubber trees in February 2018 – this is the first stage of recreating a perfect and ecofriendly environment for our future family of elephants. To help us, please click here.