Phu Pa

Phu Pa is one of the younger male elephants at Elephant Nature Park, notorious for showing special interest in many of the females. He came to the Park as a leased elephant in 2004, accompanied by his blood related aunt Mae Elu, who came to the Park because she was thought to be pregnant, and her owner was afraid that she would have another miscarriage.

Born in 1985, Phu Pa’s name means “Golden Rock”. He worked as a logging elephant near his village close to Mae Jam when he was younger, and it was during this period that his tusks were taken out. Immediately before arriving at Elephant Nature Park, he worked in a trekking camp with his aunt. On arrival Phu Pa was rather skinny, but generally in good health. Phu Pa is at the park on lease, where his owners prefer to see him living a good life in a natural setting.

Phu Pa went into his first musth early in 2006. Being his first, and considering his level of activities, this was a very short musth as expected, lasting less than 1 month. He is a handsome, gentle, and playful young lad, whose recent entry into musth also signals his entry into adulthood.

After his first musth, Phu Pa has become noticeably more confident, especially around elephants such as Somboon who used to bully him when he was a newcomer. His child-like streak, however, is still quite apparent. Even though he is over 20 years old, he can often be seen fighting and playing like a youngster with Hope or Jungle Boy. Quite frequently the last to come out of the river when it is time to bathe, Phu Pa prefers instead to frolic and wrestle in the water.

Many people remember Phu Pa for his amorous adventures at the Park. His behaviour is not always welcomed by the females, sometimes earning him harsh rejection. Nonetheless, Phu Pa seems determined to continue to share his love, and aspires to be the permanent ‘Casanova’ of Elephant Nature Park for years to come.

Phu Pa at the park

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