News you've all been waiting for! In June and last week we were given access by PERHILITAN (the Wildlife Department) to visit Lasah to learn about his life at the National Elephant Conservation Centre (NECC), managed by PERHILITAN. We're very pleased to know that Lasah has been given a new lease of life compared to the years of exploitation and abuse he went through before he arrived at the NECC.

For now, we have posted several photos at this link: https://www.facebook.com/FreeLasah/posts/2241010446009894

At the NECC Lasah gets monthly health checks (eg. blood, saliva) to ensure he is in good health. He is also taken to bathe in a river several times a week, depending too on his old wounds which were caused by many years of being forced to sleep/lie down on concrete floors before NECC.

For over 15 years Lasah was used in the entertainment business, including for elephant riding. None of this happens any longer. He is now free, and it's all thanks to YOU. We truly appreciate those who signed and shared this petition, wrote to the (previous) government, tweeted, participated in the poster campaign, protested. You've saved Lasah.

We also wish to convey our special thanks to Tun Dr. Mahathir bin Mohamad, Prime Minister of Malaysia and the MP for Langkawi island, the Kementerian Air, Tanah dan Sumber Asli (Ministry of Water, Land and Natural Resources), PERHILITAN, and the NECC for giving Lasah a new life and caring for him.

We also appreciate these individuals and organisations for helping to #FreeLasah (our apologies if we've missed some names). Thank you for all you've done.

Hannah Morris Greenway

Julia Savory

Yaya Touré

Fondation Brigitte Bardot

Animals Asia

LUSH UK

Jakarta Animal Aid Foundation (JAAN)

Nature Alert UK

Change For Animals Foundation

Nonhuman Rights Project

Their Turn

The Animals' Battalion

Save The Asian Elephants

We will post more updates and will try to get more photos and videos of Lasah.