Wednesday, November 25, 2009

GRAND OLD LUKIMALA

Lukimala is a domestic Asian elephant in Kuala Gandar Elephant Training school. A day before yesterday her picture came out in the newspaper. She was involved in rounding up wild elephants that have caused some damage to local agriculture in Jerantut.

It is always nice and refreshing to me to know that our grand ole lady is still active in her works.

She is very professional in her works.

I have known Lukimala since the successful elephant translocation operation in Jerangau Terengganu in the early eighties.

Since then I have kept a track on her whereabout and her activities.

I have even visited her in Kuala Gandar recently. From her facial expression and body language, I think she still remembers me!

Who or what can forget those days - the leeches, the frustrations, the prayers and the success stories.

I cannot forget the moment when a full grown bull elephants trumpetting his thanks to us as he left the ferry for dry land to join his friends in the National Parks Terengganu side.

I also cannot forget the agony of having to do a necropsy on a dead she elephant(out of wanting to understand more about elephant)in the middle of the night in the middle of the jungle with only a parang and later to find a fetus in her womb.

But best of all was it was during the operation that I got to know dear ole grand lady Lukimala.

Our relationship continued when I was in Malacca and she too was in Zoo Malacca.

To dear ole grandlady Lukimala, continue your life well and serve the human as well as your own kind!

P.S She is more than seventy years old now (if I were not mistaken)

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