87, making her an exceptionally old Asian elephant.
Her history was reconstructed largely through information shared by people familiar with her earlier life and by the rescue organization caring for her. Those accounts say she had spent much of her life performing physically demanding work. When she was younger, she was reportedly used in logging, a type of labor in which elephants historically moved heavy timber through difficult terrain. Later, as Thailand’s elephant economy changed, Somboon was used in tourism-related work.
Reports based on information shared by her former keeper said that Somboon had worked in several different settings during her lifetime. At different periods she was reportedly involved in carrying logs, giving rides, participating in ceremonial activities and being taken through streets where money was collected from members of the public. In later decades, tourism became a major part of her routine. One account stated that she spent more
