There’s a new face at Phuket Elephant Nature Reserve! On 5 December 2025, we welcomed Tub Tim, our sixth rescued elephant, to her new home in Phuket.
Tub Tim means “Ruby” in Thai, a fitting name for the newest jewel in our elephant family. She is thought to be between 25 and 28 years old, although, like many elephants without official records, her exact age is unknown.
Tub Tim has already made quite an impression. She is independent, strong-willed and full of personality. And most importantly, she is now safe. At our ethical elephant sanctuary in Phuket, she can spend her days doing something she has rarely had the opportunity to do before: simply being an elephant.
The Sixth Rescued Resident at Phuket Elephant Nature Reserve
Tub Tim is a little different from the other elephants at PENR, and that is part of what makes getting to know her so interesting.
She is an independent soul who prefers doing her own thing rather than seeking out people. She is also energetic and, now and again, will charge around the sanctuary trumpeting at full volume. It’s an impressive reminder of the powerful, wild-born elephant behind her story.
Her favourite activity is rather less dramatic. Tub Tim loves to eat, and she is certainly not a fussy eater! Sweetcorn, however, is her favourite treat on the menu.
It’s a small detail, but getting to know these individual personalities is one of the joys of caring for rescued elephants. Tub Tim is not simply “the new elephant”. She is Tub Tim, with her own history, habits, preferences, and character.
You can learn more about Tub Tim, along with Lotus, Bow, Thonglor, Nong Tang and Mae Boon Lai, on the Meet Our Elephants page.
From Logging to Riding: Tub Tim’s Difficult Past Before PENR
Tub Tim’s journey to PENR has been very different from that of our other rescued elephants.
We believe she was likely taken from the wild as a young elephant, an illegal practice that sadly still happens. She was then put to work in the logging industry in Tak province, in the western and lower northern region of Thailand, sharing a long western border with Myanmar.
After years of hauling timber, Tub Tim was sold to an owner in Phang Nga, just north of Phuket. There, she became a riding elephant. But Tub Tim was never suited to that life. She was labelled “disobedient” and considered unsuitable for the inhumane task of carrying humans on her back. Eventually, Tub Tim’s owner put her up for sale, but she remained unwanted for more than a year.
When we heard about her, we saw the situation differently. Tub Tim was not a disobedient elephant. She was a wild-born, intelligent, and strong-willed animal resisting a life she had never chosen.
Her story is a reminder of why ethical elephant tourism in Thailand matters, and why understanding an elephant’s behaviour and individual needs is so important.
A Three-Hour Journey to Her Forever Home in Phuket
In December 2025, Tub Tim made the three-hour journey from Phang Nga to Phuket. She arrived at PENR skinny and anxious, but settled into her new surroundings much faster than we had dared to hope.
Today, she is a healthy 3,000kg and her personality is impossible to miss. That wild spirit is still very much alive and best seen in the trumpeting charges we mentioned above. Tub Tim loves showing off her strength and energy. For us, these are wonderful moments because they offer a glimpse of the elephant she was born to be.
Tub Tim’s transformation reminds us that rescue is only the beginning. Providing an elephant with a safe home means continuing to meet her physical, nutritional, and emotional needs for the rest of her life.
To learn more about a key aspect of our elephant care in Phuket, don’t miss our blog Why is Space So Important for Elephant Welfare?
Finding Her Place at Phuket Elephant Nature Reserve
Tub Tim is still getting to know her new surroundings and the other elephants at PENR. She spends much of her time alongside Bow, whose calm and serene personality appears to give her a reassuring presence. She also sometimes wanders with Thonglor.
Elephant relationships are complex, and every individual has their own personality and preferences. At PENR, we give Tub Tim the time and space to decide how she wants to spend her day. This means we don’t encourage her to interact with every elephant or every person if she doesn’t want to. Our only intention is to create an environment in which she is happy and healthy. She can then express herself from there.
Tub Tim’s independent nature also means that our most senior and experienced mahout cares for her, watching over her with the patience and respect she deserves.
This individual approach is key to understanding the social structure of elephant herds in Thailand. Rescued elephants do not all respond to their new surroundings in the same way, and good care means recognising those differences.
Why Tub Tim’s Personality Matters
One of the most interesting things about Tub Tim’s story is how differently people understand her behaviour today.
In her previous life, a strong will and unwillingness to cooperate made her difficult to manage. At PENR, we don’t expect her to become obedient simply to make life easier for people. Instead, we respect her personality.
That is one reason our hands-off approach to elephant care is so important. Tub Tim does not need to perform, pose for photographs, or interact with visitors. She can choose where she goes, what she does, and which elephants she spends time with.
Our visitors are here to observe and learn, not to control the experience.
Tub Tim, with a branding mark “N” clearly visible on her backside from her previous hard work and life as a logging elephant.
A Hands-Off Home in Phuket for a Free Spirit
Tub Tim’s story shows why observation can be such a meaningful way to experience elephants. When you visit PENR, you cannot predict exactly what an elephant will do. You might see Tub Tim eating, exploring, wandering with Bow or Thonglor, or simply going about her day without paying much attention to the people around her.
That is precisely the point. We have designed our Phuket elephant activities around observation, education, and respect for our elephants’ choices. Rather than asking them to interact with us, we let visitors watch their natural behaviours and learn about their individual stories.
We don’t want to, and never will, change Tub Tim’s independent nature. It’s part of who she is. And it seems many people agree with us, as more travellers are choosing observation-only elephant experiences.
Come and Meet Tub Tim at Phuket Elephant Nature Reserve
Tub Tim has come a long way. The freedom she now enjoys is at the heart of what we believe an elephant sanctuary should provide. When you visit Phuket Elephant Nature Reserve, you can meet Tub Tim and our other rescued elephants through an experience based on observation and education. Whatever happens, it will be on their terms.
Explore our range of Phuket elephant activities and discover what makes a hands-off visit to Phuket Elephant Nature Reserve so special.
Do you have any pre-booking questions for us? Please don’t hesitate to get in touch for the answers you need.
