Tourism and jumbo smuggling linked | Bangkok Post: breakingnews

Tourism and jumbo smuggling linked

Published: 2 Mar 2013 at 15.49
Online news:

Smuggling the world's largest land animal across an international border sounds like a mammoth undertaking, but activists say that does not stop traffickers supplying Asian elephants to Thai tourist attractions.

Unlike their heavily-poached African cousins -- whose plight is set to dominate Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) talks in Bangkok next week -- Asian elephants do not often make the headlines.

But the species is also under threat, as networks operate a rapacious trade in wild elephants to meet the demands of Thailand's tourist industry.

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Morphos
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Discussion 6 : 03 Mar 2013 at 19.036
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The simplest thing to do, and it could be done, is to ban any individuals or small companies from owning any elephants at all. That would get rid of all of the degrading (for animals and humans alike) spectacles described above, and prevent any confusion for disputes. Thailand, and Asia in general, needs to realise that the Asian Elephant is in much more danger than the African Elephant. At present, it takes about 4 years of baby African Elephants born to equal the total Asian Elephant population. African Elephant population is increasing while Asian Elephants are continually decreasing. These conclusions are from CITES own documents.
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tcr
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Discussion 5 : 03 Mar 2013 at 08.405
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With corruption so wide spread here, anything is possible.
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bangmodken
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Discussion 4 : 02 Mar 2013 at 18.454
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Here where I live we have a few "mahouts" with a few very young elephants,begging in the streets. I asked them how this was possible and got the reply that the owner was one of the local feudal lords so the law did not apply to them. Coincidentially,he's a Peua Thai MP. By revealing his political affiliation,I'm not suggesting elephant "ownership" and exploitation is exclusively a PT trait. By no means. I merely point out the above the law attitude of politicians in this Country which should enrage people across the divide.
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saparod
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Discussion 3 : 02 Mar 2013 at 17.163
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Why TAT never speaks out and issue information, warnings and guidelines on problems such as animal abuse, tuk-tuk scams, jet-ski scams, gems scams, tailor scams, airport taxi scams, transportation scams, police ethics etc. etc. etc...
Do they support all this? If no, please speak up!
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dao
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Discussion 2 : 02 Mar 2013 at 16.502
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I thought catching wild elephants and taming them to beg and perform for tourists was common knowledge .I guess the governemnt just didnt realize it was a national embarrassment .Well it is .Elephants should be put in well protected massive of preferably jungle where they can roam and forage .If tourists want to see them they can go to the refuges not to be taken for rides but to see them in their natural habitat .Ban elephant ownership .
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upena
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Discussion 1 : 02 Mar 2013 at 16.261
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Thanks to the Tourism Authority of Thailand
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