Nongnooch Garden Pattaya Holds Ceremony to Welcome Newborn Elephant from a 27-Year-Old Father with 27 Offspring
Today at 9:00 a.m., Mr. Kampon Tansacha, President of Nongnooch Garden Pattaya, along with the management team, invited Phra Kru Kasem Kittisophan, the abbot of Phutaluang Subdistrict and Wat Samakkhibanphot, to lead a traditional ceremony to welcome a newborn elephant. This ritual is held every time a baby elephant is born, symbolizing the official introduction of the new member to the Nongnooch Pattaya Elephant Camp.
On December 1, 2024, at 3:00 a.m., a female elephant named Pang Saengdao gave birth to a healthy male calf with outstanding physical characteristics, making him a promising future breeding bull for the elephant camp. The calf has a slightly raised back in the middle that slopes smoothly toward the tail, a feature known as “pae kan kluay” (banana stalk back), which is considered one of the most desirable traits in elephants. The newborn was named Plai Suraphan.
It is believed that the calf’s remarkable traits come from his father, Plai Ningnong, a 27-year-old breeding bull at Nongnooch Pattaya’s Elephant Camp. Plai Ningnong has fathered a total of 27 calves, and Plai Suraphan is the 7th calf born this year.
To celebrate the arrival of Plai Suraphan, Nongnooch Garden organized a grand welcome procession featuring traditional dancers and a herd of 30 elephants. The mother and calf were adorned with garlands and sacred threads, and their foreheads were anointed with powder for auspicious blessings. The veterinary team and elephant caretakers are providing close care for the mother and calf.
Nongnooch Garden Pattaya is the first elephant camp in Thailand to receive a Certificate of Good Practice from the Department of Livestock Development and the National Bureau of Agricultural Commodity and Food Standards, ensuring the welfare and ethical treatment of elephants at the camp.
