Nwon

Nwon was a handsome old bull in his seventies and came to BLES in December 2015, along with three other bulls, who were living locally in our community. Like them, he was used for dragging heavy timber in the logging industry. Nwon grew tired of work and began lashing out against the people and elephants around him. This behaviour left him isolated and unwanted, deemed “too aggressive” to approach.

It was after the passing of Somai, the BLES patriarch and local legend, that Nwon’s owner, along with three other elephant owners from the village, approached BLES Founder Katherine about his difficult situation. The owner was struggling to care for Nwon, but was reluctant to sell the bull into tourism.

Nwon’s owner and the owners of the other Baan Tuek Bulls, were inspired by the long life that Somai had enjoyed at BLES and they wanted the same for their bulls.

Katherine, who knew these men well and knew that the love they had for their bulls was genuine, recognised that raising the funds to buy four bull elephants was impractical and could take several months. She wanted to offer immediate support to the men and so suggested that they retire their elephants to BLES and in return, Katherine would employ them to continue to care for the bulls.

Nwon’s owner was elated - Katherine had made all of his dreams come true - Not only was Nwon going to enjoy retirement at BLES and live out the rest of his life in true sanctuary, but the owner was also going to receive a generous salary for a job that he loved and he didn’t have to move away from home and leave his family behind. It was a win - win for all!

Nwon was handsome, tall and strong and enjoyed every moment of his retirement at BLES. He formed a deep connection with his devoted mahout, Boo Dum and the two of them were like brothers.

Nwon also enjoyed spending time with Pang Suai, Pang Noi and ‘Little’ Lom.

On the 26th February 2025, Nwon took a bad fall in the middle of the night. Worried that his back leg might be broken, Nwon was urgently transferred to the elephant hospital in Lampang. Despite receiving the best possible treatment from the veterinarians at the hospital, Nwon sadly succumbed and passed away on the 1st April 2025.

The results of his necropsy showed that his hip was fractured and femur was shattered. This, combined with his old age, was too much for him to bear.

There will never be another bull like Nwon. He was impressive, intimidating and is so sorely missed by us all here at BLES.