Cambodia's rampaging elephant sent to zoo

Dec 17, 2010, 9:15 GMT

Phnom Penh - An elephant that was captured in southern Cambodia after terrorizing a village has been sent to a zoo for 're-education' and may be mated with a female, local media reported Friday.

The bull elephant, known as Sambo, was tranquilized on Wednesday after stomping its owner to death and running amok in the village last week, trampling crops and harassing residents.

Locals responded by attacking the beast with sticks, knives and fireworks before the Cambodian Forestry Administration subdued it.

Cheng Kimsun, director of the Forestry Administration, told the Phnom Penh Post newspaper that the government had decided not to euthanize the pugnacious pachyderm.

'Sambo is not crazy, but he has lived a very stressful life because he had been mistreated for so many years,' Cheng Kimsun said. 'He was chained down, he could not go anywhere and he also had no wife - he needs his freedom.'

Nhek Ratanapich, the director of Cambodia's Phnom Tamao zoo, told the Post that zoo officials hope to pair Sambo with a similarly aggressive female elephant called Srey Pao.

'I hope that after Sambo stays with Srey Pao he will be happy, his stress will be released and his mental condition will improve in the future, and finally, he can be a nice elephant again,' Nhek Ratanapich said.

Other experts cautioned that Sambo may not yet be ready to rejoin fellow elephants after his rampage.

'Integrating him with other elephants is very important, but from what I have observed from this elephant, putting him in contact with other elephants is not advised at the moment,' said Jack Highwood, the head of an elephant sanctuary in Cambodia's Mondulkiri province.

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