— Somboon —
Somboon was born around 1967. She arrived at Elephant Nature Park in August 2003. Credit for funding her move to Elephant Nature Park goes collectively to Lek, Jodi Thomas and Leonor Gonzo.
In 2000, Somboon was first rescued by a Dutch woman named Jolly, who owned a guest house in Cha-Am. She would see Somboon street begging every day. Jolly’s heart went out to Somboon, and she raised funds to acquire the money to buy her. Jolly had the best intentions, but didn’t have the proper living space, or elephant friends to give Somboon the quality of life she deserved.
In early 2003 Jolly visited the Park and saw how well the elephants were treated. At that time Somboon had developed severe foot problems, which had caused her to lose a toenail because of infection. Jolly was looking for somewhere to give Somboon a better life. A month after her visit, Jolly contacted Lek and asked if Somboon could come to stay at the park. Arrangements were made and Somboon was transported up to the Park.
When Somboon arrived, she immediately took a maternal interest in Hope, and decided to take him away from his auntie, Mae Perm. Mae Perm took the change good-naturedly as she still had Jokia to care for. After a while, Somboon became friends with Mae Perm and Jokia and they became one big family group. Life progressed smoothly until a month after Tong Jan’s arrival in 2005 when Somboon took notice of her, realized what a sweet and beautiful little girl she was and dumped Hope in one afternoon. She even refused to go to her normal sleeping spot that night, and was moved in with Tong Jan’s family the next day.
Now she divides her time between both of her family groups and also spends time alone each day. She is a big-boned, buxom beauty with very small ears and chubby cheeks that make her look like she is smiling. She sometimes takes time accepting new elephants, but is very even-tempered with people. She has made her place in the herd and enjoys life at the park.
To learn more about the histories and personalities of our elephants, please click on any of the links below.
