The elephant found in Thailand is the Indian elephant (Elephas maximus indicus), a subspecies of the Asian elephant. While in the early 20 th century there were thought to be around 300,000 wild elephants in the forests of Thailand and 100,000 captive or domesticated, those numbers have dropped dramatically. You may need to download version 2.0 now from the Chrome Web Store. Storer, P.J. [22] But according to the NGO, World Animal Protection, "A true elephant-friendly venue would be purely observational for visitors,..."[23]:41 The organisation has published a list of the elephant venues with the best treatment of elephants. "Elephants at War from Ancient Times to the 20th Century." 14 November 2015. Khao Yai, which covers about 155 square miles and is part of a larger UNESCO World Heritage Site, is believed to have the largest population of wild elephants of any national park in Thailand. (Weerasak Pintawongs) A typical elephant is valued at 400,000 baht ($1,200) and a baby (under 5 years) may cost upto 1 million baht (2010) This act has no additional measures for animal welfare protection. The Asian elephant (Elephas maximus), also known as the Asiatic elephant, is the only living species of the genus Elephas and is distributed throughout the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia, from India in the west, Nepal in the north, Sumatra in the south, and to Borneo in the east. They were trained with lightly pricked spear on their skin in order for them to move forward. The National Elephant Institute is the only organization that is government-owned. Population: There are about 3 000 domesticated elephants in 41 provinces and three regions, approximately 2 500 in the North, over 400 in the Northeast or E-sarn area, and about 100 in Central Thailand and in zoos around the country. Your IP: 188.165.220.50 At the March 13th National Elephant Day symposium in Bangkok, the DNP Chief estimated that 10% of the captive elephants in Thailand are not registered. 2535 (1992)[20] protects wild elephants, but excludes registered draught animals.[2]. Environmental exploitation, massive landslides, and mudflows led the government to ban logging in Thailand in 1986. [15] They were referred to as a warm-blooded armoured-tank. By doing this we hope to increase the population as well as rescue and rehabilitate … In mid-2007 there were an estimated 3,456 domesticated elephants left in That’s £60 -70 per week, or £250 per month. A lot of the nation’s wild elephants are poached and captured, with 60% of the entire elephant population of Thailand being kept in captivity, and 60% of those elephants are used purely for tourism purposes. It is now thought that around 6,000 elephants remain in Thailand, with 50% of those being wild. Number of elephants in Thailand. 2535 (1992)", http://www.thailandelephant.org/en/thaielephant.html, http://www.lonelyplanet.com/thailand/travel-tips-and-articles/how-to-interact-ethically-with-elephants-in-thailand, "Thai elephants face starvation as tourism plummets", http://www.chiangmai-chiangrai.com/elephants_thai.html, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Elephants_in_Thailand&oldid=992649939, Articles with dead external links from January 2020, Articles with permanently dead external links, All articles that may contain original research, Articles that may contain original research from January 2018, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, Sail bearing an elephant (Phra sri nara raja kirinee) wearing ornamentation, This page was last edited on 6 December 2020, at 11:34. The elephant has been a contributor to Thai society and its icon for many centuries. Another way to prevent getting this page in the future is to use Privacy Pass. There are two species of elephant: African and Asian. Known for their strength and intelligence, elephants were used as war elephants since the days of Alexander the Great. In the early 20th century, there were an estimated 300,000 elephants in the wild, plus 100,000 captive elephants in Thailand. Historically, domestic elephants have been used predominantly in the logging industry, ironically and unwillingly helping to destroy the very habitat they rely on to survive. [12], On Elephant Day 2017, the Department of National Parks announced that the number of wild elephants was rising 7-10 percent. The Thai elephant (Thai: ช้างไทย, chang Thai) is the official national animal of Thailand. In this inscription he mentioned being nineteen and said his elephant, Bekhpon, advanced their attack on Khun Sam Chon to protect his father, while his father's soldiers fled in fear. Logging—licit and illicit—destroyed much natural elephant habitat. [26] This led to almost 70% of domesticated elephants to be out of work [27] but they still help a large amount of cultural significance in Thailand and were are a large part of the local's livelihood. Each elephant has a distinctive personality. As elephants will not eat in unclean surroundings fouled by dung, their instinct is to roam to a new area. In Thailand, elephants have been used by humans to perform a wide variety of tasks in many industries and endeavours, ranging from transport to warfare, and logging to tourism, for centuries. Besides electric fencing, efforts to keep elephants at bay have included tree barriers; burning tires; loud noise from sirens, firecrackers, and radios; vinegar-chili infused fences; and bees. [6] A cow (female) will eat 5.6 percent of her body weight per day. [17] On 17 June 2010, elephant protection laws were passed making these acts illegal. Most of them turned to the entertainment industry and tourism. They fall into three categories: camps for observation purposes only; non-riding camps that allow other activities; and elephant riding camps. After a 1989 logging ban, most logging elephants ended up in the tourist industry. The royal Thai navy flag also bears the symbol of the white elephant. About.com Education. Begging elephant along the streets of Silom Image credit: Patpong Museum Soon, most of the elephant population found “work” again in the country’s booming industry; tourism.Elephant tourist attractions are called many things – sanctuaries, rescue centres, or places of refuge, so visitors could feel like their trips were for a good cause rather than having it feel like a circus visit. This resulted in a plunge in the number of elephants in Thailand. Performance & security by Cloudflare, Please complete the security check to access. <, "The Thai Elephant Symbol of Nation." Since Thailand is a majority Buddhist country, elephants are portrayed as sacred animals from their special symbolism in the practice of Buddhism. Historically, elephants in Thailand are considered to be very important culturally. Photos credits. Three subspecies are recognised—E. Buckly, Dana, Vasinthon Buranasuksri, Tamchit Chawalsantati, Sean Maquire, Narumon Patanapaiboon, Natapol Techotreeratanakul, and Kimberly Woodward. All population estimates are tentative and are a combina­ tion of information from the questionnaire and estimates from other people best qualified to comment. Although logging is illegal in Thailand, it still continues . However, it’s a far cry from a century ago when at least 100,00 elephants roamed the heavily forested Kingdom. As our population continues to grow, humans continue to deforest and pressure the elephant population. In Thailand there are nearly three times as many elephants in domesticity as in the wild. The 1989 ban on logging had a huge impact on Thailand’s domestic elephant population, virtually overnight, the majority of elephants and their mahouts employed in the logging industry became unemployed. Increase. “The White Elephant Flag” Thai national flag, 1855-1916 Sodacan / Wikimedia Commons History of the elephant in Thailand. At the end of the 19th century, about 70% of Thailand was covered with forest but today this percentage has been reduced to an alarming 20%. A variety of solutions must be considered and implemented to ensure the well-being of elephants. Elephants now had to beg for food and perform tricks or act as party props[16] in exchange for money. The Asian Elephant is considered by IUCN to be Endangered. Web. Cambridge University, New York. The elephant has been a contributor to Thai society and its icon for many centuries. For a very long time, it was a law that when a white elephant was found and a tradition that when an elephant with good build was found, it was to be presented as property to the King of Thailand. If you are on a personal connection, like at home, you can run an anti-virus scan on your device to make sure it is not infected with malware. Habitat loss and fragmentation and pressures from poaching and the live elephant trade pose an ever-growing threat to these nomads. Between 2012 and 2018 there were 107 elephant or human casualties—death or injury—due to increased confrontation. [25] In the Thai animal and planetary zodiac, the elephant is the fourth animal zodiac of the Thai people. Eating occupies 18 hours of an elephant's day. [2] The Thai elephant (Thai: ช้างไทย, chang Thai) is the official national animal of Thailand. [4][5][6] The elephant became an endangered species in Thailand in 1986.[7]. By 2011, forests had dwindled to only 171,586 km2. The wild elephant population of Thailand is estimated at 2000 individuals that live in open grasslands and dense rainforests spread over the country. A large portion of the world’s human population now lives in or near Asian elephant habitat, which has dwindled to just 15% of its historic range. The elephant population in Thailand has already dwindled to alarmingly low numbers, and many more could be lost in this current crisis if urgent action isn’t taken. [21] There are many more private organizations contributing to preserving this endangered species as well. Organizations were established to better the lives of the elephants. There has been a significant decline in the elephant population of Southern Thailand as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. In recorded Thai history, during the reign of King Ramkhamhaeng the Great of Sukhothai, Thais used to hunt and trade elephants.[14]. There are many elephant's references to artworks, literature and national emblems. Thailand’s wild elephants are on the rebound. With more than 70% of the elephant population, in Thailand alone, being found outside of protected areas our goal is to provide safe and monitored habitats for these elephants to thrive. Roberts believes Thailand's government has a six-month window to intervene and help preserve the captive elephant population by temporarily donating forest and jungle to … These organizations generate revenue by letting people experience elephants in their natural state. These days the country is home to around 3,500-4000 wild elephants, based on estimates, but their number has been on the rise, thanks to concerted conservation efforts. Not everyone is happy. Much of Thailand’s elephant population worked in the logging industry until this practice was banned in 1989. [10] This has meant death to the Thai elephant, resulting in the plummeting numbers of the animal, placing them on the endangered species list. The major reason for the decline of the elephant population in Thailand is the profit-oriented and continuous forest clearance. The Thai Elephant Symbol of Nation. Many of Thailand’s captive elephants are poached from the wild. This situation makes the Asian elephant unique among endangered large mammals. Thus a 3,000 kilogram cow will consume 168 kg per day, a 4,000 kg bull 192 kg per day. Yet thanks to ancient cultural tradition, about 16,000 Asian elephants are kept in captivity in 11 Asian countries. 60% of Thailand’s elephants are captive elephants, and 60% of those are used for tourism. The Elephant in Thai Life and Legend. [1] The elephant has had a considerable impact on Thai culture. In the early-1900s there were an estimated 100,000 domesticated or captive elephants in Thailand. When logging in Thailand was still legal, they hauled heavy logs through forests, which in turn gave many Thai people jobs. In the early-1900s there were an estimated 100,000 domesticated or captive elephants in Thailand. The elephant found in Thailand is the Indian elephant (Elephas maximus indicus), a subspecies of the Asian elephant. They have a schedule of elephant shows which are not harmful or too tiring for the elephants. For thousands of years, elephants were captured and trained to be a form of transport and heavy labour. Conservation Thailand is a small country with a population of over 69 million people and thus, little land for elephants to roam in the wild. It costs about £10 per day to feed just one elephant, because of the huge quantities of food they eat (see Elephant diet). [10], Thailand formerly was 90 percent forested. Figure 1. Thailand has cleared almost all its lowland forest, creating a huge void of wildlife habitat in the heart of the country. Phra Savet Adulyadej Pahon was a white elephant that belonged to Thailand's King Bhumibol Adulyadej. Chao Praya Prabhongsawadee was the elephant of King Naresuan of Thailand that came out triumphant in the elephant duel (Thai: ยุทธหัตถี) between the King of Burma and King Naresuan during the war with the Burmese. This fall in elephant numbers is linked directly to the Covid-19 pandemic and the decimation of Thailand’s tourist industry (even now there is a Covid emergency decree in place in Thailand). There has been a significant decline in the elephant population of Southern Thailand as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. Human-elephant conflicts seem to have escalated since about 2000. Thai Journal of Forestry, 28(1), 40 – 50. (A survey in 2019 recorded 401 domesticated elephants in Phang Nga, whereas the most recent figures from the department of provincial livestock gives the current number as 270.) Estimates are that there are about 3,500 domesticated elephants in Thailand. [18], An Asian Elephant Range States Meeting in 2017 estimated the number of captive elephants in Thailand at 3,783. If you are at an office or shared network, you can ask the network administrator to run a scan across the network looking for misconfigured or infected devices. As elephants can digest only 40 percent of their daily intake, the result is dung amounting to 50–60 kg daily. In Phang Nga Province, which normally has more domesticated elephants than any other Southern Thailand province, the elephant population has dropped by a third of its normal number. 1979). Starting value is 8900 . Many provinces in Thailand used to have elephants as part of their official emblems as well. Areas that had seen the most marked increase in wild elephants were the western forest in Thungyai Naresuan Wildlife Sanctuary and the eastern forest in Dong Phayayen-Khao Yai forest complex. [2]:9, The law pertaining to domesticated elephants is the Beast of Burden Act 2482 B.E. [13], In Thai society elephants have played a substantial role in manual labour, war, royal iconography, and the tourism industry. Habitat loss continues to threaten the elephant population, with the most pressure coming from human population growth. Population. Estimated population sizes for Asian elephant populations from Sukumar (2003). Completing the CAPTCHA proves you are a human and gives you temporary access to the web property. The Thai sacred and royal symbol was the white elephant (chang pueak or chang samkan). Logging was banned in Thailand in 1989. Many artworks in Thai royal palaces and temples have drawings of elephants on the paintings on the walls. The Department of Livestock Development says that some 223 elephant camps exist in the country. In Thailand there are between 2,500 and 3,200 wild elephants while the captive population is far greater and numbered 4,169 animals in 2012 according to government data. Juvenile elephant used for begging on the streets in Thailand. Roughly 3,340 wild elephants live in 69 wildlife sanctuaries and national parks across the country. Illegal logging and agriculture has reduced forest cover dramatically. By 2017 the number of captive elephants had risen to an estimated 3,783. [19] This act classifies elephants as draught animals along with horses, donkeys, and oxen. [3] In mid-2007 there were an estimated 3,456 domesticated elephants left in Thailand and roughly a thousand wild elephants. [6] Most mahouts took their elephants to Bangkok, roaming the streets with baskets of fruits for the tourists to buy and feed the animal. It is in Lampang, a province in northern Thailand. There are approximately 2000 wild elephants in Thailand. Print. Many Thai experts believe the number of wild elephants to be very much lower than the figures quoted above and some put the total n… By Darunee Sukanan on December 6, 2019. After the ban, elephants trainers had to find other ways to feed themselves and their elephants. It should have been a day like any other in Mae Wang, Thailand. Sukumar, R. (1989) The Asian elephant: ecology and management. Asian elephants share a close relationship with the Thai people, from being used warriors on battlefields, worshiped as religious icons, and faithful laborers to loggers. Elephant tourism is extremely popular in Thailand, so much so that the native Asian elephant population has all but disappeared from the wild. In Asia as a whole some 13 countries are home to a total population of between 40 000 and 50 000 animals. Sukmasuang, R. (2009) Population density of Asian elephants in Huai Kha Khaeng Wildlife Sanctuary. Over the same period, 45 humans have been killed by wild elephants. White elephants in Thai society also represent wealth and power because of their past association with the Thai royals. Thai royals and elephants established a relationship over thousands of years. A bull (male) will eat 4.8 percent. • Wildlife. Forest cover shrank to 31.6 percent in 2015. Thailand’s population of wild elephants has been rising. Thai elephants are considered Indian elephants, even though their appearances are different. Ratio of newly born elephants to elephant population. In 1976, the African elephant was listed under Appendix II of the UN Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), designed to control and limit trade, while in 1975 the Asian elephant was Like horses and camels, elephants have been domesticated for thousands of years.

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