Arya News - Try Sitheng cared for Lucky the elephant for over 26 years.
PHNOM PENH – Try Sitheng has confirmed that he will not be returning to work with the Wildlife Alliance but has instead requested permission from the Minister of Agriculture to be able to visit Lucky the elephant, whom he considers like family.
A video of the keeper riding away from Lucky, who he tended more three decades, went viral, with Sitheng saying that “internal issues” meant he could no longer work at the Phnom Tamao Wildlife Rescue Center.
Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Dith Tina, met with Sitheng today to mediate the situation and discuss Sitheng’s relationship with his former organisation.
The meeting aimed to find a way for Sitheng to potentially resume work with Wildlife Alliance and continue to care for Lucky, as well as to understand the working conditions of the organisation.
Sitheng explained to the minister the circumstances of the workplace dispute that led to his resignation. He expressed deep regret over leaving behind many years of service at Phnom Tamao, especially his work caring for Lucky the elephant.
“However, Mr. Sitheng declined to return to his previous position, and simply requested permission to visit Lucky occasionally and spend time with her as a family member,” said an agricultural ministry statement.
After hearing his story, the Minister expressed his support and praised Sitheng’s years of devotion and sacrifice in caring for Lucky for over 26 years. The minister acknowledged the complexity of the situation, saying it ran deeper than it might appear from the outside.
He compared the case to a divorce where a child ends up separated from one parent. As an authority, he said, they cannot force reconciliation but can only try to mediate.
Regarding Sitheng’s request to visit Lucky, Tina voiced his support and encouraged him to maintain a meaningful connection with her — “like a father and daughter”.
He also asked the other elephant caretakers about their working conditions and promised to raise Sitheng’s and his ex-workmate’s concerns during a meeting with Wildlife Alliance representatives next Monday.
The ministry also said that, recognising Sitheng’s love for wildlife conservation, the minister has promised to support his future work, especially if it involves his personal dream of working to conserve Banteng in the Prambei Mom Forest Community in Kampong Speu province, which Sitheng visited on July 2.
During the groundbreaking ceremony for the new Cambodian People’s Party headquarters in Kampong Thom on Thursday, July 3, Prime Minister Hun Manet also addressed the situation, saying the government would not stand by idly in the case of Sitheng and the organisation. He explained that today’s meeting was organised specifically for mediation.
“This is not a state matter — it’s an internal issue within an organisation. But it touches the emotions and interests of our people, and led to requests from some of our citizens. That’s why the minister got involved. Ultimately, the internal decisions between the individual and the organisation are not something we can interfere with,” he said.