Welcome Mae Tato and Baby Aliya
-
by
scott
On October 28, 2026, the lives of two beautiful elephants changed forever when they were rescued from an uncertain future to begin a bright new chapter. Making the journey from the mountains of Omkoi District in Chiang Mai, seven-month-old Aliya and her devoted mother, Mae Tato, arrived at the sanctuary, entering a new world where they can experience security, dignity, and lifelong freedom.
Several weeks earlier, our team at Save Elephant Foundation first received word of a young calf who was going to be sold and separated from her mother. When we realized she was barely seven months old, our decision was made immediately—we would not save the baby without her mother. We refused to let another mother and child be torn apart.
The background of this rescue highlights a heartbreaking reality. At just 22 years old, Mae Tato had endured years of exploitation, repeatedly forced to breed for commercial gain. She had given birth to two previous calves, both of whom were forcibly taken from her and sold away—with her second baby sold just five months ago. Aliya is her third baby. To carry a calf through nearly two years of gestation and nurture that fragile life, only to have your baby taken away, is a horrific cycle endured by far too many captive elephant mothers.
Mae Tato & Baby Aliya's Rescue Journey
With this rescue, that cycle for Mae Tato comes to an end. Given the name Aliya—derived from the Sinhalese word for “elephant”—this playful calf marks the youngest elephant rescued by Planting Peace. During the long journey to the sanctuary, founder Lek Chailert, Aaron Jackson of Planting Peace, and Noëlle Weiss of Les Éléphants de Lek accompanied the pair on the rescue truck, watching Mae Tato instinctively shield little Aliya beneath her body the entire way.
Settling comfortably into her new environment, Mae Tato is finally free from the threat of forced breeding and loss. With an abundant milk supply keeping her well-nourished, baby Aliya nurses at will, often initiating suckling with a quick, playful nudge against her mother.
Baby Aliya and her mother are currently in quarantine as they adjust to their new home. To safeguard young residents from viral threats such as Elephant Endotheliotropic Herpesvirus (EEHV), our animal care team takes careful precautions to protect their health.
Sanctuary life is already bringing new wonders into baby Aliya’s daily world. From playing on a sand pile to taking her very first splash in a water tub, and napping peacefully beside her mother, Aliya is discovering the simple pleasures that every young elephant deserves. For a baby elephant and mother, there is nothing more important than remaining by each other’s side.
We express our deepest thanks to Aaron Jackson and Planting Peace, Noëlle Weiss, and everyone who made the rescue of this beautiful mother and baby elephant possible! Thanks to your support, this mother and daughter can now look forward to a lifetime together, free from exploitation.
As they settle in, we look forward to watching Mae Tato and baby Aliya build lasting bonds with other elephants and become part of a growing, multi-generational family. Mothers and their calves belong together—always. After everything they’ve been through, this beautiful mother and daughter will spend the rest of their days living in safety, surrounded by love. Welcome home, Mae Tato and Aliya.
