Rescuing Patty

I wanted to make sure I took the time to write about this experience because I know most people will never get to experience something like this and I know what an incredibly cool blessing it is that I had the chance to rescue an elephant and see the entire thing from start to finish.

So I must back up a bit and refresh your memory on who and what.  My friend Aaron Jackson, who is the gentleman who did the rainbow house in Topeka, Kansas however long ago, has made it his mission with alongside his organization “Planting Peace” to rescue and save elephants that are being mistreated and malnourished in the country of Thailand.  I want to make sure to not misspeak for Aaron on his mission, goals, etc, and I hope to have him on my podcast soon so I can ask more questions, but I wanted to make sure to share what I was able to witness and what a beautiful and moving mission it was.

Aaron Jackson from Planting Peace and I enjoying dinner after a long day meeting Patty

Aaron has been asking me for years to join him in Thailand knowing I love an adventure and travel.  I have always had that in the back of my mind, but as I have said before, Thailand was very scary to me for some reason, so the thought of going I had a lot of anxiety around, then you add in going into the jungle is another entire part on it’s own simple because it’s hot, I don’t know what I am walking thru, I am not in the best of shape heading into a hot jungle with wild animals.  There’s a lot there for me.  Then you add in I am extremely soft hearted anymore. I am not sure what it is but I can cry at the drop of a hat and my heart hurts and is haunted but mistreatment.   I genuinely struggle with this.

I am sure it is part of my anxiety and what my brain focuses on, but seeing an animal abuse is very hard on my heart and I replay it in my head on repeat for months sometimes when I see things.  I genuinely have an odd struggle. So the thought of what I may encounter was a bit terrifying to me.  Whether it was Aaron’s wisdom or the universe, this elephant rescue was a perfect one for me because it was one elephant that was in a horrible situation, and I was able to watch that one tormented elephant be removed and never harmed again. I know there are times that Aaron will enter a logging camp or a road side tourist area that is home to multiple animals and he isn’t able to save them all and I don’t know that I personally and mentally have the capability to do so.  Not at this stage in my life.

This was an elephant that was given to a son by his father, which is common in Thailand like handing down your plow, and the father witnessed the son abuse the animal, make her pull over the weight for her body, her be malnourished, work longer than the legal times, and didn’t want his son owning another elephant.  And that is where Aaron and his fundraising comes in.  Because he is able to save these beautiful animals all in a swift timeline to make sure the animal is safe and protected during the transaction, that someone doesn’t see an animal is available for sale for maybe cheap labor and try and step in, and wants the animal to be fully secured with the funds in a quick timeline so they can be moved to safety all within a matter of days.  It’s impressive.

Aaron has many angel donors that love what he does and want to support his mission, or he will have people that want to sponsor a full elephant in need.  He loves and will accept all of that except he really wants to raise funds as part of the elephants expenses to be able to continue his mission one elephant at a time and not let it fall on one person.  I admire his work each and every time behind the rescue from going to meet the elephant in person, and witness what the animal is being exposed to, to filming, organizing the crews for meeting, transportation of crews, hauling the elephant, finding a proper sanctuary, raising the funds and the list could go on.  It’s impressive to witness and that is just the logistics!  It takes true dedication and commitment to make one happen, let alone the number he has saved since he started.

So as the boys headed to the airport to head back to the US, I grabbed a flight to head to Krabi island where Aaron and the gang were located, and were heading to meet officially meet Patty the elephant that morning and witness her living and working conditions. Mind you the number of screws up I had this morning from screwing up booking my flight to booking the flight at the wrong airport and needing to rush across Bangkok was nuts. It just added to the anxiety of what I was feeling heading into the day. Bless Aaron for taking over in the “dealing with Jenny” as he has to help me juggle my hotel and flight screw up all while needing to meet him and the crew to head to the elephant on a strict timeline.

I made it to the sanctuary to meet the crew in time to head over to where the elephant was logging at a property about 15 minutes down the road. One of the gals most certainly gave me shit as I roll in in a dress and pink accessories to head to the jungle. I did have to explain I don’t really like to wear pants, physically didn’t pack any, and pink makes everything better! She nominated me the best dressed for the jungle and off we headed.

We had to make a stop at toys r us and this purse was a better option than my Louis Vuitton.

Patty was down the road a bit as the entire crew ascended on the property. As my earlier video explained, she has a mahout with her whose his job is to work her as hard as possible. He doesn’t know why we are there, other than checking out the elephant and her ability to work and how hard he can work her. Aaron immediately goes up to Patty and introduces himself as this giant animal stands so sweetly in chains that she can barely move. Her legs are chained together, she has multiple chains around her neck and then a logging harness to allow long chains for her to be able to drag the giant trees behind her.

I was able to witness the sweet exchange between Aaron and her, and her do some simple walking from point a to point b, but when it came time for him to film and watch what this particular animal goes thru in a day I had to move away. I couldn’t stand within eye or ear shot because I could hear the yelling and smacking and once I saw her be hit with a metal pole and the mahout climb on her using her eye socket I couldn’t keep it together anymore. I lost it. I knew I wasn’t cut out for that and my sobbing showed it.

She was forced to pull a giant tree and move its location. Aaron was able to watch her being hit, mistreated, pulling weight she was too small to pull, not to mention how skinny she was. During this time, Aaron is able to witness to ensure this elephant is an a bad situation and needs help, record footage to show the abuse that is going on with this particular elephant and start his whirlwind fundraiser to secure the funds for this animal in a quick motion. Although I questioned why we needed to witness what we had, and why is that necessary, I now know it is a means to the end for that particular elephant. That was her last day being hit, ridden, used as a plow or going hungry. Aaron was about to change that elephants life.

I am going to sign off and finish out the rescue story next week as there is so many details pre and post I feel I should share. It was a special experience that I want to make sure I convey all the feelings and share the things I was able to witness,

Until next time

Jenny