The Rescue of Tubtim

Born Again … Mae Suk Becomes Tubtim

Almost every elephant who begins their new life at Elephant Nature Park starts it with a new name. The reason for this is to leave all memories of their painful, exploitative pasts in the past. We want them to truly begin anew, looking forward with no remnants of their bygone days haunting them. For some, it is difficult to accept a new name, yet others take on their new identities like a caterpillar shedding their chrysalis, knowing they will metamorphose into a butterfly. It seemed as if they had been waiting for this new beginning.

Unfortunately, some have to wait longer than others.

The “herstory” of Tubtim

Mae Suk at her final stop as a captive working elephant, a trekking camp in Phuket

In 1947, Tubtim’s  life began in Mae Chaem district in the little village of Mae Seuk. She was named Mae Suk, which means “Happy Mother.” In the Northern Thailand region, most female elephants have Mae as a prefix before their name, representing that they are female. In other areas of Thailand Pang is used. Mae Suk was kept in this area until she turned 15.

Around 15 years later, in 1962, Mae Suk started working in Mae Sariang. Most likely there was a logging camp and she was trained in the normal fashion. She would have started out carrying supplies when the working elephants and their mahouts went on long jungle marches to get to the remote camps, where they would spend many months pushing and dragging logs. She was bought and sold a few times during this period.

She was sold again in 1977, ending up in a district named Sri Satchanalai in Sukothai province. For the next 30 years, she continued to work in logging and was sent to Chiang Rai and Prae. Towards the end of this period, she worked as a trekking elephant for the first time in her life.

In 2007, she was once again sold to someone from Mae Chaem. Now 60-years-old, her logging days were over. The owners leased her to a trekking camp right here in the Gudt Chang valley where ENP resides. In 2008, they sold her to someone from Buriram Province. Her new owners continued to lease her to work in this area until late 2009. It was during this era when she met and worked with Jaem Sai (who was also renamed), an elephant we rescued back in early April. In 2010, Mae Suk was relocated to Buriram where she worked at street begging for a year.

She was sold yet AGAIN in 2011. The lady was bought and sold three times during this period and was worked for the next three years in trekking. Mae Suk spent most of her time working in the south of Thailand, until she became very weak and collapsed seven months ago at a trekking camp in Phuket. They placed her in a harness at night as it seemed that if she laid down she could not get back up. At first, they continued to work her in the daytime, but soon she seemed so weak that they decided it was best not to work her at all.

By this time she was called Permpoon. There is no way of knowing how many names she has had through out her lifetime. Interestingly, a name change is not often recorded on an elephant’s documents.

She generated a lot of pity. Many individuals came to look at her, take pictures and bring her food. The owner was starting to feel anxious, not sure how much longer she would last with such a decline in health. He was hoping that someone would offer to buy her.

According to the owner, despite the interest she generated, no one offered him a down payment to prove that they were serious about purchasing her.

The rescue

Khun Kanjana Nuna Silpa Archa with Tubtim

Permpoon came to our attention because of Khun Kanjana Nuna Silpa Archa, daughter of former Thai Prime Minister, Mr. Banharn Silpa Archa. Khun Kanjana has became very passionate about elephants this year and is currently doing all that she can to help make the lives of Thai elephants better. When she learned about this old elephant in trouble, she wasted no time. She sent someone right away to take pictures and get information. She contacted Lek and requested that Lek go to visit this elephant. When Lek first laid eyes on Mae Suk, who is now known as Tubtim, it was obvious she had to act quickly. Thankfully, with someone like Khun Kanjana behind her, there was not much holding Lek back.

Receiving fluids before beginning her journey to freedom at Elephant Nature Park

Only because of facebook did it come to our attention that another non-profit foundation that rescues elephants had their sights set on Permpoon. By the time we had learned of this, our rescue plan was already set in motion — a down payment made, documents already being prepared. Khun Kanjana was funding the rescue and was very excited to give this old girl a new start in life. There was no turning back.

We are very sorry for all of the confusion and have never been involved in such a complicated situation involving an elephant rescue like this before.

But as it should be, ELEPHANTS come before politics.

And, what matters most is that this old girl’s life of suffering and slavery is over.

Life at ENP

At the ripe old age of 67, she has begun anew as Tubtim, in honor of Khun Kanjana’s grandmother. Tubtim can mean ‘ruby’ or ‘pomegranate’. She seems to be responding to her new name well and is more than happy with her new life circumstances. For a tiny, run down old lady, Tubtim has a lot of fire. She is very bold. Not intimidated by anyone, for one minute … ever. She has already found a place in a family group, currently smitten with the chunky Prince Navann. With each passing day she is finding that she might even like his mom Sri Prae and his other aunties as well. She is completely obsessed with Navann and stays as near to him as possible.

Her appetite is excellent. She enjoys her cornstalks and gobbles banana balls with great delight.

But – the greatest joy of all is seeing how quickly she was able to fit in and how much joy and contentment she feels being around Navann.

Though there are no records, we were told that Tubtim has had more than one baby in her past, all whom were taken from her.

Being a gran-nanny to Navann is the perfect ‘dream come true, happily ever after’ for a lonely old lady in the twilight of her life.

Welcome Tubtim!! Live out your last years with respect, dignity and purpose.