Mae Nat(F)
Born: 1984
Date of rescue at the Mekong Elephant Park: January 2023
Mae Nat history is one that’s all too common with elephants held in captivity. For many years, she once worked in the loggin industry and later on was living in Japan working in the tourism industry in a circus.
Through a rescue project and thanks to the generosity of our supporters all around the world, Mae Nat has finally joined the Mekong Elephant Park family in January 2023.
Mahout: Lit
From: Ban Thong
Born: 1976
He comes from Ban Thong, it used to be a mahout village. He grew up with elephants around him. Lit is very peaceful and quiet, which is the exact same character of Mae Nat, the perfect match. While he is with elephants around him you will always see a smile on his face.
He has very strong values and always wants the best for his elephant (even if he needs to walk for two hours to find what she likes).
Kham Khoun (M)
Born: 1990 (Hongsa, Sayaboury)
Date of rescue at the Mekong Elephant Park: 2016
Kham Khoun is a gentle and calm elephant, with a sort of quiet strength.
Kham Khoun arrived by truck in 2016 from the village of Ban Bimi. Since his birth, his owner has been the father of Noypeak. Noypeak has known him since he was a child and they have never been separated. He worked a few years as part of the logging industry. Kham Khoun is a stocky and powerful elephant. He has a piece of his trunk missing since he was 4 years old. He has since learned to live and feed himself despite this handicap.
Chief Mahout: Noypeak
From: Ban Beemee
Born: 1967
Noy Peak is our most knowledgeable Mahout here. He comes from Ban Beemee, in north Laos, a village where each family used to have an elephant. He is Lao Leu, a tribe who have looked after elephants for decades. He is the mahout of Kham Khoun, they have been together for 30 years. This is Kham Khoun’s age. From birth they have been together ever since. Except Kong, nobody else can look after Kham Khoun.
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He has been in contact with elephants since his early days as his father and grandfather were the owners of several elephants. Since he was a teenager, he has acquired a strong experience with elephants. It is for this reason that he is also the pedagogical leader of all the other mahouts. Mr Noypeak is serious and acts professional in any kind of situation.
Mahout: Pan
From: Ban Thong
Born: 1980
He is the second mahout of our male, Kham Khoun. He is also the replacing mahout of the other elephants when their mahouts are away. He is the only one beside NoyPeak who can switch elephant.
Since his family always had elephants, he always grew up with elephants around him and learnt how to understand them right from his early days. If you have any questions regarding the forest, ask Pan, he knows it all.
Mae Kham (F)
Born: 1964 (Borthan, Sayaboury)
Date of rescue at the Mekong Elephant Park: 2008
Mae Kham worked in the logging industry for over 30 years. She has many scars on her head and her ears are torn, all resulting from her difficult past when she was beaten. Being so old means she suffers from arthritis when it rains, nevertheless, it bestowed her the privileged status
of matriarch of the herd.
Now enjoying her life at the Mekong Elephant Park, she is very calm, sweet, and kind. She is not fond of water and often prefers taking dust baths. She has a very strong relationship with Mae Ping, and she can be very sad if not seeing Mae Ping all day.
Mahout: Seung
From: Mok Kan
Born: 1998
Seung is our youngest mahout. When Mae Kham’s original mahout retired, we had to find replacement. Seung was at this time a gardener at the Park and had been for many years. He knew Mae Kham extremely well and is as gentle and calm as her so it was evident that they would get on together.
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Because he knows her well, he anticipates her sudden waves of tiredness due to her old age. Everyday Seung observes with pasison the elephants and the other mahouts in order to learn more about them. Our mission is also to create new vocations within the new generation of Laotians.
Mae Ping (F)
Born: 1999 (Hongsa, Sayaboury)
Date of rescue at the Mekong Elephant Park: 2009
Mae Ping arrived in her early years at the park and was therefore lucky not to work in the logging industry. Her power and character has only been harnessed through tenderness.
Unfortunately, she was separated while young from her mother who was sent to another country. Since then, she has transferred her need for maternal affection to another female elephant, Mae Kham. She is closely monitored as to enter a reproduction program, in the hope of creating new elephant generations that help preserving the species.
She is very touching, dynamic, naughty, and sometimes un undisciplined elephant. All that gives her a very special charm.
Mahout: Saw
From: Ban Houay Xeng
Born: 1981
Saw comes from a Kamu village, Ban Houay Xeng, 10km away from Pakbeng whose family has no tradition of mahouts in the family line. He worked in a sawmill when he was 16 and could see elephants coming to pick up wood every day. He arrived at the Mekong Elephant Park in 2012 where he developed a very strong relationship with Mae Ping and trained on how to become a mahout with the others mahouts. Today the bond between them is one of the stronger of the park.
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We often say that the mahout character is similar to the elephant character. Well indeed, it could not nearer to the truth for them both as they share a very playful character. Mr Saw is a cheerful and kind person, always caring for visitor’s and Mae Ping’s safety.
