Kham Puem
Meet Kham Puem. Her name means Golden Bell. I met this sweet, gentle Elephant a few days ago while I was shooting at a Elephant Rehabilitation Facility here in Chiang Mai.
Kham Puem is blind. She was rescued from an illegal logging company (which is illegal in Thailand). Often, out of anger, the owners would blind the elephants to make them more dependent and subservient. I am so grateful for the Lek, the owner of this center, and her drive to rescue elephants from these horrible situations. They have Elephants that have been in land mines, stabbed and beat for street shows, and even very, very injured from forced breeding. It is so sad, and I honestly can hardly think of it with out getting choked up, or angry. Tomorrow I get to photograph Lek (the wonderful lady who started it all) and her elephants. Her relationship with them is one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen. There are few things I love more then an animal and human relationship. Unspoken love and trust.