PHNOM PENH, Oct. 20 (Xinhua) -- Sambo, a beloved and iconic Asian elephant of Phnom Penh passed away at the age of 63 after nine years of retirement, the Elephant Valley Project (EVP) said in a news release Thursday night.
Sambo had given rides to tourists at the Wat Phnom historical site in the capital since 1980 until 2012 when she could not work due to a combination of a foot infection and complaints that she caused traffic jams.
The elephant was released into the protected jungle in the remote northeastern province of Mondulkiri for her retirement in 2014 under the care of the EVP.
"Today we have some very sad news to share. Our beautiful sweet Sambo has passed away during the night," the EVP said in the news release. "After a long battle with a tooth infection, her health deteriorated over the last month. At 63 years old, she had an amazing 9 years of retirement at EVP."
Cambodia is home to approximately 400 wild Asian elephants, which live mostly in the Cardamom Mountains and in the provinces of Mondulkiri and Ratanakiri, according to conservationists.
Sambo was one of some 70 domesticated elephants in the Southeast Asian country.
Asian elephants are listed as endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List. ■