An overview of our Rescues and other Projects
All the rescues and projects below are set out in chronological order and the reports were written at the time of the rescue - times change, babies grow up so for day to day stories of the adventures of our babies please check John's Rambling Elephant Blog.
Nong Pleum : Plai Tawan : Outreach Programmes : Nong Dah : Poon Larb and Lynchee : Nam Chok & Pumpui : Adopt a Vet : Lamyai & Meena : Makam & Nam Khong : Moskva, Musa & Riga : Manau: Sakura
Pang Makam and Nong Nam Khong
Pang Makam, whose name means tamarind (a snack beloved of the Thai people) was born in Surin in the late eighties. Compared to our other elephants she has been something of a stay-at-home, in her first twenty years she has had one other calf - I guess village life saw her married young.
She has worked in trekking and tourist camps down on the coast, in Hua Hin and in Trat, but was on the streets selling bananas when we found her.
She does have a playful nature but her games tend to be introspective or focus more on her mahouts than the other elephants - and be warned, she does tend to assume that what's good for the ele is good for the mahout and that you'll enjoy all of her pleasures.
Unknown to us she was pregnant when she arrived in the Anantara camp and after nine months providing mahout training and trekking skills for the Anantara and Four Seasons guests she gave birth to a bouncing female calf, Nong Nam Khong, on the 14th of August 2007.
Makam's uncommonly long legs caused problems for the first few hours as Nam Khong found it difficult to suckle, however, where there's a will there's a way and we find ourselves guardians of a strong healthy calf with a careful but none-too-nervous mother.
They are looked after by K. Ka.
Pang Makam and Nong Nam Khong (May 2008 Update)
Nam Khong and Makam are still with us, Khong is, as a thriving seven month old, the darling of the camp and Makam is getting used to the idea that her baby will be an independent little girl.
Nam Khong's antics as part of a triumvirate with Lynchee and Pumpui keep us all amused and she has passed through the slightly nerve wracking time stage for all baby elephants - the time when elephant and human playmates aren't distinguishable and all need to be played with by the same rules - i.e. squashed or climbed upon.
As we strive to keep her as free as possible it was human visitors to camp that had to be restrained lest their knees be taken out - luckily, she's now worked out that we're fragile things.
Makam bears being the mother of a diva superstar very well, provides milk and a few of life's lessons for her daughter and doesn't seem to mind that the smaller ele gets all the attention and bananas.
Makam is sponsored by Lisa and David Thombley.
Pang Makam and Nong Nam Khong Links
Nam Khong, baby elephant on an adventure
The attack of a determined, killer, baby elephant
A dust bath in the Golden Triangle
She's small but she packs a punch
