When Soraida Salwala was a young girl, she and her father happened upon an elephant that had been hit by a car. She wanted to take “Uncle Elephant” to the hospital; when her father informed her that there was no hospital for elephants, she was heartbroken.
In 1994, Soraida realized a lifelong dream to create a hospital for elephants. The Elephant Hospital in Lampang, Thailand, is the first of its kind in the world. The hospital has cared for hundreds of elephants that have been abused in the illegal logging trade. These elephants have been given amphetamines to make them work faster or have been crippled by land mines left to clear rugged terrain. Soraida and her staff treat elephants with varying ailments, whether natural or due to their contact with humans. Listen to Soraida talk about her unique hospital, her organization, Friends of the Asian Elephant, and her effort to save the Asian elephant in Thailand. Animal Planet
