Thai Government Bans Elephants on the Street
The tourist want to see them, Thailand has made them their national symbol, but they don’t belong on the streets of the cities and resorts. Elephants are a important part of Thai history and culture, but their role in Thailand has changed. Once they were the work horses of Thailand, but time and modern engineering has replaced these gentle giants with diesel engines and modern hydraulics.
Thai Elephant on the Street in Bangkok
Elephants helped to build Thailand, but now their natural habitat, is being replaced with development and expanding cities. Work for elephants is very limited these days and these gentle giants still need to eat. An adult elephant can consume 140–270 kg (300–600 lb) of food a day. So the handlers, (mahouts) in many cases have taken their elephants to the streets, selling small bundles of overpriced food to the tourist who delight in the wonder of being close and feeding these wonderful animals. With the profits they purchase the real meals for their elephants.
But busy streets traffic, and elephants do not mixed, and several animals have been injured in the past. A survey found 74 elephants wandering the streets of Bangkok with their handlers. Bangkok and Pattaya have now banned elephants on the streets within the city limits. The New Elephant Act is being put in place in Bangkok, implanting the elephants with micro chips for tracking, and imposing, large finds if the elephants are on the city streets.
Deputy BMA governor Theerachon Manomaipibul said yesterday that repeat offenders would be warned three times after which they would be fined up to Bt50,000 and have their elephants sent home.
In a effort to find safe homes for these elephants and mahouts Ayutthaya’s Wang Chang Elephant Camp and Pattaya’s Suan Nong Nuch Park have offered to buy elephants and hire their mahouts. The Elephant Reintroduction Foundation has also said they will pay Bt500,000Bt to one million for any elephant whose mahout can not afford to keep it. With the ultimate goal of returning some of their elephants to the wild.
So if you want to see these wonderful animals, take a trip to one of the Elephant Parks or wildlife areas and enjoy them in a safe natural environment.
