Sambo

Story

Sambo is unarguably Cambodia’s most famous elephant. For many years she was a permanent feature at Wat Phnom, Phnom Penh, giving rides to tourists visiting Cambodia’s Capital. She was originally caught in the Aural mountains before the war and was the sole survivor of 5 elephants that her owner (Mr Sin Sorn, a man who is also renowned as an elephant keeper in Cambodia)’s father once caught, trained and worked. After the civil war finished she was brought to Phnom Penh to give rides to children and tourists and many Khmer often came to visit her and to feed her fruits.

In 2012 she was retired from tourist trekking and kept near Pochentong Airport by a small elephant organisation called Ears until March 2014 when they stopped funding her care. In September 2014 her owner, Mr Sin Sorn, decided to retire her to the EVP. ELIE was supported by the Abraham Foundation and USAID and over 84 private donors the funds were raised to organize her rescue. Now after 30+ years in the city she has returned to the forest.

Sambo has now settled in and has had some small adventures of her own! She has met most of the other ele residents and her and Milot developed a budding friendship before she passed. Our lovely Ruby has now also taken to Sambo and their love is a growing fascination, watching Sambo learn how to socialise is true amazing.  She is a wonderful old elephant and we are so happy to have her here.

We are just so grateful to her owner for retiring her to our elephant sanctuary and allowing her to once again become a real elephant.

You can find a great video about her rescue HERE

Come for a visit and say hello to her yourself!