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Sambo, the internationally famous elephant known for years as one of capital Phnom Penh's most famous attractions, will retire to northeastern Cambodia's Mondulkiri province this week, an owner and officials said Tuesday.
The 54-year-old female elephant will go to live at the Elephant Livelihood Initiative Environment (ELIE), situated inside the Seima Protected Forest in Mondulkiri province on Saturday.
About 50 people took part in a public farewell event Tuesday in which Sambo received blessing from Buddhist monks and was feted with piles of fruits.
Sin Sorn, who has owned and worked alongside Sambo for more than 40 years, said Sambo helped his family for decades since 1981.
"She is like my sister. She helped me to earn money to buy food and pay for my children's education," the 57-year-old owner of Sambo told reporters. "We owe Sambo a great debt and it is time to pay her back."
Sambo has offered rides to tourists around a historic Wat Phnom site for three decades and just left the city centre more than two years ago due to an infected foot.
ELIE's program manager Jack Hiahwood said Sambo will live in the forest with 9 other elephants but with access to veterinary care.
"It is a great thing that Sambo returns to the wildlife sanctuary since elephants are wild animals and belong to the forest," he said. "We will spend about 15,000 U.S. dollars a year to care for her including food, salary for keepers and medical treatment."
"She is one of the luckiest elephants in Cambodia," he said.
Keo Oukmalis, chief of the Wildlife Animals and Biodiversity Department at the Cambodia's Forestry Administration, said the return of Sambo to the wildlife sanctuary is a right decision because the elephant is old and needs to relax in a protected forest for the rest of her life.
"She can live with other elephants in the natural environment," he said, adding that Sambo will be trucked from Phnom Penh to Mondulkiri province on Saturday this week.
Currently, there are more than 500 wild elephants living in Cambodia, he said.
