By. Anuradha
Elephants are enormous creatures but within this huge structure lives a very smart animal who is known for several of its talents. One of the most distinctive facts about elephants is that they have a very good memory. They can remember even the things that happened years ago and there are various folk tales about how elephants keep intheir mind the ones who wrong them and take revenge even after several years. However, you must keep in your mind that elephants are very innocent by nature and they will become violent only due to reasons we create and their biological factors.
We recently heard a story from Thailand where a vet met an elephant whom he had treated 12 years ago and the best thing was that this wild elephant could still remember the doctor who treated him!
Image Credit: Viral Press
This 31-year old elephant first met the doctor Maneeon when he was in a critical condition. The elephant was suffering from a fatal parasitic condition called trypanosomiasis, also known as sleeping sickness and luckily, some officers from the Forest Industry Organization spotted him and took him to be treated by the staff.
He was very aggressive at the beginning but with enough love and care received from Dr Maneeon and his team, the elephant soon started to show signs of recovering and after several months of treatment, he was released back to the wild.
After 12 years, Dr Maneeon was patrolling in the same area and when this elephant heard Dr Maneeon’s sound, he appeared from nowhere. The doctor never thought that the elephant would recognize him after so many years but when he saluted the elephant, he also greeted this kind of doctor with equal enthusiasm.
The vet said in an interview, “I remember the sound very clearly. Plai Thang’s noise is very unique.”
“Plai Thang was very aggressive when we first met. His body was weak and he could not fight other elephants. It took a long time for him to heal, but we learned that he was very smart and took care of himself. Recently, we met again. We could remember each other and we greeted. It was a very special moment.”
So, there is no doubt that this beautiful animal has a very good memory and we wish that he stays happy and healthy for a long time ahead.
