The Thai Elephant Conservation Centre in Lampang has changed the live broadcast times for Sak Surin, now the most popular elephant in the country, to 1pm and 4pm.

Today (Thursday) is his fifth day in quarantine, after being repatriated from Sri Lanka on July 2.

The live broadcast is in response to requests from the public to see the ailing jumbo, who had been gifted to and lived in Sri Lanka for 22 years.

The number of people logging into the centre’s Facebook page has increased since the day one. On Tuesday, viewership reached 10,000.

The comments read “Sak Surin is cute”, “Welcome home”, “Thank you for all the help for the jumbo” and “We wish you a full recovery as soon as possible” among many others.

Sak Surin was one of three elephants gifted to Sri Lanka. Last year, an animal protection organisation in Sri Lanka alerted Thai authorities to Sak Surin’s plight, including mistreatment and illness. The Thai delegation’s visits to check on the elephant’s welfare led to the repatriation.

Remaining there are Sri Narong and Pratupa, which is the oldest. There are growing calls from the Thai public for the two to return home as well.

Natural Resource and Environment minister Varawut Silpa-archa said Wednesday, however, that repatriating Pratupa to Thailand may be dangerous, considering his age.

He said that, in September, a team of vets will go to Sri Lanka with Kanchana Silpa-archa, his sister, to check on the wellbeing of both animals.

Kanchana, a former Suphan Buri MP, was behind the campaign to bring Sak Surin back and is an advisor to the ministry’s strategy team.

The team will seek opportunities to work with the Sri Lankan side, as well as to transfer knowledge and elephant care techniques. Varawut said Thailand and Sri Lanka will work together closely to take care of the elephants.