— Mae Bia —

According to her registration papers, Mae Bia is around 82 years old. Her name refers to the pose of a cobra before it is ready to strike. Sometimes when an elephant holds up its trunk to catch a scent on the wind, it resembles this posture. She was rescued from a lifetime of service in October 2005, and thanks goes to Michael and Sheila Medlar for providing the funds necessary.

Mae Bia is a prime example of an elephant’s working life lasting well past a normal retirement age. Before arriving at Elephant Nature Park, she was still being used for trekking. The owners of the trekking camp finally realized that she was getting to old to work, and called Lek to see if she was interested in buying Mae Bia. When first contacted, Lek didn't have the funds to buy her, but went with a group of volunteers on a Jumbo Express to see Mae Bia anyway and assess her general health and negotiate a price. On this visit her health was found to be quite good for her age, but by the time Lek sent a team back to get Mae Bia, she had became very thin and had many superficial wounds on her head and badly infected ears. On her first day at Elephant Nature Park, Mae Bia ate ravenously, as she did every day after that until she realized that the bountiful daily food rations were not going to end. With a healthy diet and special care, she started to fill out and her wounds began to heal.

Mae Bia's behavior, which is a bit peculiar at times, was at first thought to be caused by senility. It has now been determined to be yet other common side-effects of old age, deterioration of sight and hearing, which may contribute to her shyness around other elephants. She is not part of any family group, but chooses to remain solitary though she does enjoy the occasional wrestling match with the young boisterous Hope.

For an older lady, she has a lot of energy and is constantly on the move at a good pace, exploring every inch of the Park property, keeping her mahout busy following her around. In the hot season, she enjoys the river and submerges herself for hours at a time, with only the top of her head and sometimes the end of her trunk visible as she takes in air and enjoys the cooling current flowing past.

To learn more about the histories and personalities of our elephants, please click on any of the links below.
 

Dok Ngern	Faa Sai	Hope
Jampaa	Jokia	Lilly
Mae Boon Ma	Mae Bua Kham	Mae Bua Loy
Mae Bua Tong	Mae Dta Keow	Mae Geao
Mae Jan Peng	Mae Keow	Mae Kham Geao
Mae Kham Paan	Mae Kham Sai	Mae Lanna
Mae Perm	Mae Tee	Malai Tong
Medo	Mintra	Somboon
Sri Nuan	Taa Raa (Jarunee)	Thai
Tong Jan	Tong Suk (Jungle Boy)

— Gone But Not Forgotten —

Sadly, some elephants come to the Park not as permanent members of our herd, but only as temporary guests. We do all that we can in order to purchase them from their owners so that they never have to leave, but in some cases we are not successful. These elephants have been taken back by their owners and are sorely missed.
 

Mae Boon and Aura	Mae Elu	Mae Toh Koh and Pupia
Phu Pa

— In Loving Memory —

These beloved members of our herd have passed away, but they will live forever in our hearts and minds.
 

Boon Khum (BK)	Khum Min	Mae Bia
Mae Mai	Maximus (Max)	RaRa
Ratree