A baby elephant named Fah Jam recently took her first tentative steps into a pool for hydrotherapy treatment in Thailand after being caught in a trap that injured her front left foot.
Fah Jam, which translates to ‘Clear Sky,’ was only three months old when she was ensnared by a trap set by villagers in Chanthaburi province, 155 miles southeast of Bangkok.
Now five months old, the young elephant has been showing signs of improvement under the care of veterinarian Padet Siridumrong at a veterinary clinic in Chonburi province.
Watch the video at the end.
Six-month-old baby elephant ‘Clear Sky’ tries to stay afloat at the beginning of a hydrotherapy session at a local veterinary clinic in Chonburi Province, Thailand. Source: Daily Mail
Veterinarian Padet Siridumrong said Fah Jam, who is now five months old, was showing signs of improvement following initial water-based exercises known as hydrotherapy. Source: Daily Mail
After losing part of her left foot in a snare at three months old, the baby elephant is now learning to walk again in water. Source: Daily Mail
Veterinarian Padet Siridumrong said Fah Jam, who is now five months old, was showing signs of improvement following initial water-based exercises. Source: Daily Mail
During her hydrotherapy sessions, she is kept afloat by a harness as her guardians at the clinic help her to find her feet again. Source: Daily Mail
Here ‘Clear Sky’ looks out from the back of a truck at the Nong Nooch Tropical Garden tourist park before she was transported to the veterinary clinic. Source: Daily Mail
The hydrotherapy treatment aims to help Fah Jam regain strength in her injured leg, which suffered muscle atrophy as a result of the accident.
Despite her initial fear of water, Padet is optimistic about the progress she will make through the therapy. He believes that within a few sessions, Fah Jam will grow to enjoy swimming as most elephants naturally do.
The treatment could last up to two months, but the hope is that it will ultimately enable the young elephant to walk again. Fah Jam is the first elephant to receive hydrotherapy at the Chonburi animal hospital.
The six-month-old is the first elephant to receive hydrotherapy treatment at the animal hospital in Chonburi province, which is a few hours from Bangkok. Source: Daily Mail
After losing part of her left foot in a snare, the baby elephant, whose name in Thai is Fah Jam, is being cared for by humans. Source: Daily Mail
Happier out of the water, Clear Sky stands on her hind legs in her corral at the Nong Nooch Tropical Garden Park. Source: Daily Mail
The goal of her hydrotherapy treatment is to strengthen the withered muscles in her front leg, which was wounded three months ago in an animal trap laid by villagers to protect their crops. Source: Daily Mail
Veterinarian Padet Siridumrong tends to the elephant’s injured leg after a hydrotherapy session while she enjoys a bottle of milk from one of her guardians. Source: Daily Mail
Although she was initially nervous in the pool, she later relaxed with the help of her human handlers. Source: Daily Mail
Although she was initially nervous in the pool, she later relaxed with the help of her human handlers. Source: Daily Mail
All done! A clean and dry Clear Sky stands next to one of her guardians after completing her treatment session in the pool. Source: Daily Mail
In this picture, Clear Sky is reaching out with her trunk from her enclosure at the Nong Nooch Tropical Garden tourist park before she was taken to the clinic. Source: Daily Mail
Clear Sky rests her head on the shoulder of one of her guardians during a short break in a hydrotherapy session as she finally appears to have gotten used to the water. Source: Daily Mail
Her treatment session was also an opportunity for bath time, and here she gets her head scrubbed with a brush at the end. Source: Daily Mail
Elephants hold great significance in Thailand, where they were once used to carry soldiers into battle and for logging.
However, since logging has been banned, many domesticated elephants have been integrated into the tourism industry, leading to concerns about their treatment and welfare.
‘Clear Sky’ is kept afloat by a harness during a hydrotherapy session at a local veterinary clinic in Chonburi Province. Source: Daily Mail
‘Clear Sky’ walks with the help of a boot on her injured leg at the Nong Nooch Tropical Garden tourist park. Source: Daily Mail
According to EleAid, a British organization focused on the conservation of the Asian elephant, there are approximately 3,700 wild elephants and up to 4,000 domesticated elephants remaining in Thailand. Factors such as deforestation, rapid urbanization, and ivory poaching have contributed to the decline of the wild elephant population.
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