Mae Kam was the first elephant to join BEES under 1 year retirement contract in May 2012. Mae Kam had started acting out, she was suffering from depression and had been shaking mahouts and tourists off her back. As a result she was badly beaten and her owner was left with no choice at the time, but to bring her home. She had been chained above her owners farm for over 18 months by the time we met her. Mae Kam had delivered a still born calf in her logging days and right before she started acting out in the camps she had lost her second calf to a King Cobra bite. We had no idea where it would lead us taking an elephant like Mae Kam on as our first elephant to join the program, but what we did know – we had to help her. We walked Mae Kam to BEES on a near 75km Journey through the windy mountains. She loved her first year and the owner seemed happy with the extra income we were providing him in return for her freedom. We managed to get the owner to resign the contract keeping Mae Kam in Sanctuary for nearly 3 years under the rental agreement. In May 2015 her owner had requested to take Mae Kam home for a blessing ceremony, the Mut murr suu kwam – To bless the elephant and bring happiness to the elephant, family and the village she was born in. Mae Kam had not left BEES for almost 3 years, spending each day foraging in the forest free from work and abuse, we really wished she didn’t have to go and tried to persuade her owner otherwise, he wanted to take her and refused to change his mind. We had requested that they do not harness her with the trekking basket, but when they got 2 hours down the road, ignoring the request, her owner decided to harness her and climbed up on her neck to ride her. She immediately shook and threw him off her back, sending him to hospital with serious head injuries and broken vertebrae. Mae Kam was immediately walked back to BEES where she would stay, never to be tormented by her past again.
In the weeks to follow the owner and the family had said that they wished to sell Mae Kam, giving us a month to find the funds otherwise they would sell her on to continue trekking. We absolutely could not allow that to happen, knowing Mae Kam would be badly beaten, because she did not want to work. The owner and the family no longer wanted to work with elephants, believing Mae Kam was a bad omen and it was time to move away from elephants.
In an amazing 13 days BEES friends from all around the world donated the funds to secure Mae Kam’s freedom. Mae Kam can forever be in her sanctuary, where she spends each day Happy, Flappy and Thriving, foraging the days away, just being an elephant.
Mae Dok grew up in the village of Huay Suer Tow which is the previous work place and home of Thong Dee and Boon Yuen. Mae Dok spent much of her early years logging and helping with farming. When logging was banned in the late 1980’s, she joined 30 other elephants for tourism in the area giving rides. For about 20 years, before retiring to BEES, she was used at the Karen Long Neck touristic village as an attraction where she would beg people to feed her banana and sugarcane for 20 baht and have selfies taken. During her life time she gave birth to 2 still born calves and had 1 successful baby after the devastating still births. The baby daughter was separated from her at 1 year old and used as a tourist attraction in Chiang Mai, we really hope we can track her daughter down one day who by now would be in her 30’s. Due to diminishing space and poor economy in the area all the other elephants were sold off or those rented out from other communities were moved on to work in larger camps in Chiang Mai, leaving Mae Dok a lonesome elephant. Except for Thong Dee and Boon Yuen, whose owner was told about us after we had visited Mae Dok at the bridge the first time, about 5 years prior to her rescue and decided to retire them to BEES. We had been waiting to do the same for Mae Dok for a very long time.
For years since our first meeting with some of Mee’s children, they had expressed they wanted to sell Mae Dok, but out of respect for their elderly mother Mee who loved Mae Dok and didn’t want her to go, they waited until she passed away. They wanted to let the matriarch of their family pass in peace with her large friend nearby so she could feel at ease knowing Mae Dok was there.
We were told dear Mee, the elderly owner was around 108 Years old when she passed away in late January 2019. Mee had been Mae Dok’s owner since Mae Dok was born in the late 1950’s – early 1960’s. We were told during our meeting and signing of documents for Mae Dok’s retirement that Mee, gave birth to 15 children in her lifetime. Sadly, 6 children had since passed away. When Mee passed away she was a Mother, Grandmother and Great Grandmother, leaving 9 remaining children, most of which have adult children and grandchildren. Mae Dok was very well known in the little Karen village. Each day when Mae Dok returned from the bridge at the touristic village, she was always greeted by many happy faces, ready to give her snacks on her walk to the forest, at the edge of the village for a night of rest, before returning to the bridge to spend her days. We had an opportunity to watch her walk from the bridge, through the village and to the forest edge. It was truly touching to see how loved she was in the community.
Our dreams finally came true when Mae Dok retired to BEES on 6th of March 2019. The moment she stepped off the transportation truck, she happily explored her surroundings. Thong Dee was frightened and moved away, but Mae Kam was very interested and they instantly became best friends. Mae Dok and Mae Kam spend each day together exploring and foraging.
All of the elephants at BEES Elephant Sanctuary can be adopted. Adoptions help us to provide the care that is needed to ensure the are healthy and happy.
To find out more, click on the button to the right where you can find all the details.
Boon Yuen and Thong Dee retired to BEES on the 22 November 2014. Both had serious digestive problems, due to age and worn teeth. We immediately sprung into action and made a dietary plan to help aid in digestion and lessen the symptoms of bloat and the frequent gut impactions. They had good days and bad day but the good days they could roam far and forage on lush green grasses to their hearts content and would return home to specially prepared salads and supplements which they adored.
On 29th July 2015, as the rain drops began to fall darling Boon Yuen closed her eyes for the last time and lay at peace surrounded by many that loved her, in her sanctuary.
Thong Dee missed her friend dearly, but was surrounded by love, care and lots of great food. It took some time but she began to thrive, with her little furry friend Gizmo by her side and P’or Kham her caretaker. For many years she roamed the sanctuary, climbed the greenest mountains, splashed in the stream and foraged in the lushest fields. We watched Thong Dee grow old, she became more frail and we introduced pain management for her as she was getting more arthritic pain. In the winters we would make a fire to keep her warm and she received round the clock care and support.
On the 14th August 2025, at exactly 5.38am surrounded by all who loved her, our precious Thong Dee left us, to reunite with Boon Yuen after a decade of missing her.
Thong Dee was taken on her finally journey up the lush mountainside and was buried by her best friend Boon Yuens side. Together ‘The Golden Girls’ lay side by side for eternity.
Mae Mor was retired on 27th March 2017, people from around the globe sprung into action to help retire Mae Mor from the horrific conditions this beautiful overworked elephant was forced to endure. We had been following her for about 5 years. And finally tracked down her owners. Who were teachers and had inherited Mae Mor from their late father. They too were not happy with her conditions but did not have the time to look after her and had left her in a working camp. They were pleased when we offered to give her a better life. Mae Mor was suffering terribly and being mistreated, with scars all over her body, malnourished and covered in fresh wounds and abscesses. Her chain was spiked at the anklet and every time she would ignore a direction in the camp, the chain would be deliberately tugged to spike her causing severe pain. We brought her home, gave her so much love, treated her wounds and saw her abscesses begin to heal. We slowly built her trust. She began to experience life as an elephant.
On the 30th August 2017 after a 21 day battle with illness and the team working hard to surround her with love, medical care, comfort and support, our sweet Mae Mor passed. She was so loved and we wished we had more time. At the time of her passing she was believed to be in her 60’s – 70’s.
Fluffy was such a beautiful girl, she was like a wooly mammoth, she had beautiful red tinged hair flowing from her ears that could be braided it was so long. She had suffered serious injuries when she was younger to her pelvis and back legs. This resulted in serious pain and her hind legs to not be able to bend naturally. She was at risk of being sold on to further work and had spent her whole life working with painful joints. When we found her she had been working in a vineyard used as a photo prop and taxi for weddings and celebrations. We knew we couldn’t let her continue to be worked to the ground.
Thanks to International Wildlife Protection who sponsored Fluffy’s retirement in full, she was able to retire to BEES on the 14th October 2017.
Fluffy took tourists on her last riding job on the afternoon of October 12th 2017. Never to carry tourists on her back again. We started the journey from Prachuap Khiri Khan on the morning of the 13th October 2017 and arrived at BEES in the early hours on 14th October 2017 where Fluffy could finally retire her old tired body.
Sweet Fluffy passed away in her Sanctuary on the 15th of January 2018. She was approx 60-65 years old.
We are forever grateful to International Wildlife protection for sponsoring her retirement and to Fluffy’s family who chose to allow Fluffy to live out her days with us at BEES. Fluffy lived her final months free from work, receiving quality care.
