Animal rights activists call for ban on elephants in Bangkok
A group of foreign animal protectionists yesterday asked the Thai government to end the presence of elephants in the streets of Bangkok. There are increasing reports of a pushy and sometimes aggressive approach to tourists by the elephant handlers.
The supervisors earn from the sale of food (fruit). Tourists can also have their picture taken with an elephant for a fee. A refusal by tourists to buy fruit has already led to aggressive behavior on the part of the guides on a number of occasions. The elephants are often mistreated and drugged with heavy drugs to keep them calm.
The group of foreigners, which is asking for government intervention, is acting on behalf of 'Elephant Aid International'. A total of 30.000 signatures were collected and presented to the Thai Prime Minister through the Governor of Chiang Mai.
Animal protection spokesman Carol Buckley says it is appalling and incomprehensible that elephants are begging in the streets of Bangkok. “The elephant is even the national symbol of Thailand and is considered a sacred animal. No country in the world allows this.”
“The aggressive behavior of the elephant handlers who attacked a female tourist on Dec. 18 has tarnished Thailand's tourism and image,” said Saengduen Chaiyalert, of the Elephants and Environmental Conservation Foundation.
Source: The Nation
Nice but old topic.
As far as I know, it has been illegal to walk around with elephants in downtown Bangkok for years. But as with many things that are forbidden in Thailand, nothing is done about it. I knew a Thai guide who called the police every time to report that there was an elephant in the city. I don't believe anything was ever done.
But there's another problem. There are simply too many elephants in Thailand for the "work" they can do. Taking care of an elephant is not cheap. Those beasts eat & drink quite a bit.
Thailand is so developed that living elephants in the wild is almost impossible. So they need to be guided & cared for. And the Thai government just doesn't want to spend enough money on that. There is also no policy to limit the number of elephants. Finally, the Western media would start complaining again.
So the call from those foreign animal protectionists is nice and nice but completely useless. For example, they would what can try to do about the reason those elephants roam bangkok. Or better yet let them do something about the animal abuse in their own country (also called bio-industry).
Chang Noi
I agree that elephants do not belong on the street.
But that's not just in Bangkok, I've been seeing it lately
more begging Elephant Handlers in KhonKaen.
Good luck with your actions
I totally agree with Chang Noi. The Friends of the Asian Elephant (FAE) have also been making themselves heard for many years, but so far with little or no results. A few years ago, a proposal was made to employ elephants and handlers in the national parks for a certain monthly income. But it's all about money. Walking through the street with an elephant, selling bananas and sugar cane to tourists, and having them pose for photos with Jumbo brings in significantly more money.
I think they are definitely (I hope) gone from Bangkok, but they are still walking around in Chiangmai. Recently there was a scuffle between 2 Australian tourists, who criticized the accompanying mahouts for their animal abuse.
I myself was once threatened in Sukhumvit Bangkok by a guy with that iron hook, with which they 'steer' the elephant. Fortunately only endangered. In Chiangmai, it was actually beaten, according to the newspaper report. Other tourists have boxed in those mahouts (good job!) and the police have nabbed them.
November 2009…. I have yet to see them in Bangkok. Are you saying that now a year later they are really gone?
Yes, dear Thailand visitor, in November 2009 I also saw them regularly at Sukhumvit in Bangkok, which was one of the most popular places for that 'company'. But certainly not an elephant to be seen since half a year. That corresponds to reports in the press that an agreement has finally been reached between all those ministries, departments, organizations that had to deal with that problem. And let's hope it stays that way.
yes unfortunately this summer we saw a small elephant walking in the middle of bangkok, chinatown, and it was nicely begged… too bad
So with a big bow around it. There are also many neglected dogs…. millions??