Baby Elephant Boom at Nongnooch Pattaya Elephant Camp: Second Calf of the Year, Now Home to 82 Elephants in Grand Celebration
Today at 9:00 AM, Mr. Kampon Tansacha, President of Nongnooch Garden Pattaya, held a welcoming ceremony for a new elephant calf at the Nongnooch Pattaya Elephant Camp. The ceremony was officiated by Phra Kru Kasem Kittisophan, the ecclesiastical head of Phu Ta Luang Subdistrict from Wat Samakkhi Banphot, who conducted the traditional welcoming ritual for the newborn elephant, in line with Nongnooch Pattaya’s customs, to officially receive the newest member into the elephant camp.
On March 17, 2025, at 5:25 AM, a 28-year-old female elephant named Phang Birdie showed signs of labor and vocalized in discomfort for about two hours. She then lowered her hind legs to ensure her newborn calf wouldn’t fall from a height. The newborn, covered in a thin membrane, was a healthy male elephant calf. A team of veterinarians and mahouts was promptly assigned to provide excellent care for both mother and baby.
The welcoming procession featured over 50 traditional dancers and a herd of 30 elephants. During the ceremony, garlands and sacred threads were placed on the mother and calf, and their foreheads were anointed with powder for blessings and good fortune. Mr. Kampon Tansacha, President of Nongnooch Pattaya, named the newborn calf “Plai Akhom.” With several more elephants expected to give birth this year, the Nongnooch Pattaya Elephant Camp can truly be called a “prolific mother-and-calf elephant camp.”
