— Mae Keow —
Mae Keow was born around 1957. Her full name is Mae Keow Kala Yor, which means ‘petite green eyed beautiful woman’. Quite a lovely name for a small female with an attitude. Lek rescued her in 1998 with her own funds. Later Bert Von Roemer from Serengeti foundation, upon hearing of Mae Keow’s unique personality, decided he wanted to reimburse Lek for the initial cost of Mae Keow as he has a special admiration for females with attitudes.
Mae Keow began her working life as a logging elephant in the Phrae province. Supposedly she had her first child when she was only 10 years old. This is why she is such a small elephant. When she should have been going through puberty and a growth spurt, she was growing a baby, so all the nutrients she took in and all her energy went to the fetus in her womb, and her own growth was stunted. Now in her late forties, she looks like a teenager to some degree and her appetite for the male species is quite youthful as well.
In 1989, like most other ex-logging elephants, Mae Keow got a job in the emerging tourist industry hauling tourists around on her undersized body. When not working, her time off was spent in chains. When Lek first met Mae Keow, she had a young baby who was blind in one eye. Lek really wanted to buy them as a pair but lacked the funds to purchase both elephants. When Lek later returned to the village with enough money, they had sold the baby already, leaving behind a depressed Mae Keow yearning for her child.
Lek brought Mae Keow to Elephant Haven to start her new life. She was extremely timid, unfamiliar with a world free of chains. Allowed to wander freely, she seemed to think she would get in trouble and be punished. This was her first taste of freedom, and she celebrated by running off to hide in the jungle. It took Lek and the mahouts three days to find her. Since then she has learned to adapt to her new life.
Never losing her maternal instinct, she is now the over-protective auntie of Tong Suk, sometimes not even letting the boy enjoy his own wrestling matches. She has earned a few nicknames since her arrival to Elephant Nature Park, one being the ‘hussy’, for her reputation for having a healthy appetite for male companionship which she proves almost daily. Still hoping to have another child of her own, she works at it diligently. Another nickname is ‘the biter’. To make up for her size, she can be quite aggressive with other females. The only female at the park she will back down to is Mae Perm. During her time at the park she has bitten several elephants, usually targeting the tail. Most of these incidents revolved around competition for a bull’s attention. Her favorite male of the moment, is the 23-year-old ‘stud for hire’ Pu Pah. She likes the youthful energy of this robust male half her age, and has chosen him as her ‘boy toy’, and he is happy to oblige her. Her short list of female companions include close friend Lily and Mae Boon Ma, who are both in her family group.
To learn more about the histories and personalities of our elephants, please click on any of the links below.
