Baby Elephant Receives Hydrotherapy After Injury

Hydrotherapy has put 5-month old baby elephant Fah Jam on the road to recovery following a severe injury to her left foot.

Fah Jam lost part of her left foot after being caught in a trap set by villagers to protect their crops in Chanthaburi province, Thailand. She survived with the help of other elephants at Nong Nooch Tropical Garden, a tourist attraction outside Bangkok.

While these elephants were able to nurse Fah Jam and improve her well-being, the baby elephant refused to put any weight on her injured leg.

Because of this, veterinarians at a Chonburi province veterinary hospital came up with the idea to put Fah Jam through rounds of hydrotherapy in an effort to strengthen the withered muscles in her affected leg.

Fah Jam, whose name means “clear sky,” in English, went through her second round of hydrotherapy Thursday, and veterinarians say she is showing signs of improvement.

The baby pachyderm still has a long way to go, seeing as it could take up to 2 months of hydrotherapy to make sure she won’t have to rely on a prosthetic leg.

Veterinarian Padet Siridumrong said Fah Jam has been a little scared at first, but by her fourth or fifth sessions she will enjoy swimming more. He explained that “by nature, elephants love the water,” which makes this type of treatment even better for the elephant.