Som Pond’s Rescue: A Second Chance
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by
scott
Another precious elephant has begun her journey to freedom. This is Som Pond’s story—an elderly elephant who is blind in one eye and has finally been given a second chance.
On 10 April 2026, Som Pond—a 45-year-old female elephant—arrived safely at her new home after a long overnight journey from Pattaya to Chiang Mai. For the first time in her life, she stepped into a place where no chains, no saddles, and no force will ever touch her again.
Som Pond’s past tells a familiar story of hardship. She spent nearly 30 years in the logging industry, followed by 11 years in a tourist riding camp, carrying people on her back day after day. For more than four decades, her life was shaped by control and forced labor.
The toll of those years is visible. Som Pond is blind in her right eye, and her eye socket is damaged—likely the result of a past injury caused by humans. Her skin bears the marks of neglect, with wounds and infections across her head. Small in stature and naturally shy, she has a gentle spirit, even after all she has endured.
Som Pond's Rescue Journey
When the rescue team arrived, Som Pond stepped onto the truck with surprising ease, as if she understood she was leaving her troubled past behind. Throughout the overnight journey, she remained calm—eating fruit and resting while the veterinary team cared for her, ensuring she stayed cool and comfortable.
Since arriving, Som Pond has begun to explore her surroundings at her own pace—no pressure, no demands. For the first time, she is simply allowed to be an elephant.
In the days that followed, she experienced something she had been denied her entire life—the freedom to run across grassy fields without chains or fear, expressing relief and joy that her life had taken a major turn for the better. Som Pond’s new life will be one of abundant nutritious food, the freedom to bathe and play in the river, explore her new world, enjoy mud baths, and form deep connections with other rescued elephants.
Som Pond’s rescue was made possible thanks to the support of Arron Jackson and Planting Peace, Timothy Sykes and Karmagawa Foundation, Nikki Sloup, together with many kind-hearted supporters around the world. Thanks to this collective kindness, Som Pond now has the chance to heal, to find companionship, and to live the rest of her life in peace and dignity—the life she has always deserved.
