Get to know these
GENTLE GIANTS
Mae Thongsuk
At 48 years old, she is the oldest of our giants ! She arrived on the 1st of November of 2020, after a working life in both the logging tree and entertainment industries. Her name means “Nice and happy”, and yet, now, she spends happy days, with no one on her back or no trees to pull behind her ! She is very friendly with everyone, including all animals ! But she likes to stay alone, as she needs some private time. She’s always moving, walking around the jungle, eating everything she can find. She loves showering and mud spa, and you can always find her rolling in the water !
Mae Thongsuk having a treat in her bath !
Enjoying some plants !
Khai Dam
This young 26-year-old male arrived on 29th of October of 2022. His name means Black Egg. He was working in the entertainment and show industry. Today, even at liberty in the forest, he still carries this sad heritage and we can sometimes see him doing unnatural show moves. He likes quiet and privacy, and usually moves up to the mountain to eat plants ! He is not very friendly, either with animals or people, except with his mahout and Jahn Yai, his new friend ! But you can always expect to see him appear from far away, in the jungle !
Khai Dam enjoying a mud bath and relaxing !
Jahn Yai
Her full name, “Manee Jahn”, is the name of a precious stone. But her nickname is Jahn Yai, meaning Big Moon, and we’re lucky to have this shining gem. In her 40s, Jahn Yai has spent most of her adult life logging heavy commercial wood and giving rides to tourists in various provinces. As our resident social butterfly, the best part of Jahn Yai’s new, elephant-friendly life is the time and space to freely interact with the other elephants. She sadly still remembers Sow, her former best friend who passed away in 2021. Now, she often hangs out with her new friends, Mae Thongsuk and Khai Dam, except during bath time, as she’d rather go eat some plants instead !
Jahn Yai rolling into the mud !
Cooling down at the river
Jahn Lek
Jahn Lek moved on the 3rd of October of 2022 from another sanctuary in Koh Lanta, where she had an accident in the logging industry and fell down from the mountain. Her hip got injured, and we had to take good care of her until she recovered ! She is 46 years old and can spend the rest of her life in the forest, following her best friend Thang Mo everywhere. Her name means Small Moon, as she is the smallest elephant here but has the biggest heart ! She is very friendly, except with monkeys, dogs or chicken. She is calm and a big observer of her environment : walking slowly, smelling plants before eating, and checking her new people friends !
Everyday, kindly waiting for her best friend Thang Mo !
Jahn Lek getting into the pool !
Thang Mo
Thang Mo means watermelon, and this is the thai nickname of our 36-year-old sweet giant ! Her real name is Motumae, and she is from the north of Thailand. She used to work in a sanctuary in Phuket, and with Covid 19, she was sent to work in the logging industry in Trang Province … She arrived here on the 8th of November of 2022 and immediately found her new best friend, Jahn Lek ! Thong Mo is fond of eating jungle creepers and roots, and she always stops on her way for a treat, while Jahn Lek kindly waits for her. She loves bathing too and you will always see her diving into the water !
Diving into the water !
Greedy Thang Mo getting a jungle treat !
Chok
Aside from giving rides to tourists every day, Chok’s striking features lead him to be used as a live prop for documentaries, movies, commercials, and wedding photos. His full name Plai Somchok meant “fortunate,” and fortunate he was indeed to leave his “modelling” career behind and be admired for his natural behavior in his natural habitat instead. Our star-elephant passed away in 2021, from old age.
And also those we will
ALWAYS REMEMBER
Sow
The name “Sow” was a nickname, meaning “young girl.” Though she was still strong and determined at the end of her life, the 20 years she spent giving rides to tourists at various camps throughout southern Thailand have taken a toll on her body. As is common with elderly elephants, Sow’s teeth were deteriorating, which means she could only chew and digest soft grasses and leaves. At Following Giants, she was treated to an abundance of her favourite supplementary foods, which her mahout P’Dam put through a food shredder so they were easier for Sow to eat. She died of old age in 2021, in the hospital.
