A wild elephant appears to know the man who saved his life over a decade ago in an immensely poignant encounter.
Dr. Pattarapol Maneeon had an unexpected yet pleasant meeting with an elephant he treated 12 years ago. Plai Thang, a now 31-year-old elephant, was very ill in 2009. When a group of volunteers discovered him in the Rayong forest in eastern Thailand, his odds of survival were bleak. The poor creature was struggling to eat or drink water, much alone stand on his feet, due to a variety of illnesses such as trypanosomiasis, anemia, and stiff legs.
The elephant was transferred to the Forest Industry Organisation right once, where Dr. Maneeon nursed and cared for him till he miraculously healed in a matter of months. He was subsequently released back into the wild in the same region where he was discovered by the rescue crew.
The vet who looked after Plai Thang was out exploring the region earlier this month when he ran upon an old buddy. However, he was worried whether the elephant would know him after such a long time. In any case, the vet gave him a friendly wave. And as soon as the elephant discovers the guy waving at him is the same one who treated him 12 years ago, he rushes to express his gratitude once more.
Plai Thang stretches his trunk to grasp the hand that saved his life as he approaches Dr. Maneeon. A camera-surprised moment! The vet subsequently claimed that he knew it was Plai Thang when he first saw him because of the noises he made.
“I recall the sound extremely well. The vet informed a local news site that Plai Thang’s sounds is “quite distinctive.” “When we initially met, Plai Thang was really pushy. He couldn’t fight other elephants since his body was weak. It took a long time for him to recover, but we discovered that he was incredibly intelligent and self-sufficient.
“We met again recently,” Dr. Maneeon stated. “We recognized each other and exchanged greetings.” It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. I hope it inspires everyone to value the job that elephant caregivers perform.”