As many of you know we have been devastated by floods during the rainy seasons over the years. This in turn has caused many problems for the elephant's sleeping areas. Every time we get rain the night areas become boggy and too wet for the elephants to sleep. So we must move them outside to sleep elsewhere.
We have started to bring in soil to raise the land higher and heavy machinery has been forming the land to create raised sleeping areas so when it rains the water will run off and not sit where the elephants sleep. Each sleeping area will also have a mound of soil to act like a pillow or rest which will help our older elephants get up in the morning. We will use the heavy machines to drive down concrete posts tethering the elephants in a more effective and secure way. We are improving the drainage system so the water drains away and does not sit there making the ground more boggy.
We are changing our watering system to effectively increase the volume and speed of water. This will bring water more efficiently for drinking and bathing. The three areas that we are targeting is the elephant nursery, the communal shower and the Elephantstay elephants. To do this we have to increase the size of our pipes, faucets, hoses and purchasing a more powerful pump.
Scratchng or rubbing posts is something we have been planning to happen for some time now. Because of the years of flooding we have lost all our large trees which the elephants loved to rub and scratch on, which was good for their skin. We will erect two sets of scratching posts in two locations. Each set will consist of three types of posts protruding from the ground at different angles so the elephants can rub all of their body easily.
One of our bull elephants, Yod Yeam, has a disability. His leg was broken when during the night another bull got his chain and attacked him. Because of this, his leg is stiff and he has trouble walking. We are making him a structure to reside in during the day which has a roof for shade and sand floor. There will also be horizontal supports for him to lean on and alleviate the pressure of his good legs. This structure will make him more comfortable and improve his quality of life.
These projects are very costly and the legacy of 50,000 AUD from Paul Anthony Gatien has meant we can achieve these goals.
We would also like to thank Alex Maroulis, executor and trustee of Paul's estate for ensuring his legacy has been realized.
Improving the lives of our elephants is an ongoing work in progress and we greatly appreciate the generous contribution Paul has made.
You may want to consider making a legacy in your will to Elephantstay. We will ensure it makes a considerable difference to our elephants.
Please take a look at our facebook All help Elephantstay help Elephants for more photos.
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