timgorski

I'm very much aware of the fate of elephants in thailand and have long been a benefactor to the cause of conservation. Unfortunately people - usually NGO's but also sanctuaries that help elephants, exaggerate the issues or plain lie about them in order to garner more sympathy and money. The media love this stuff and perpetuate various myths, so often through plagiarism. Hence one media outlet will publish some nonsense or exaggerated claim and later more will copy that and before we know it, the lie becomes 'fact'.

For example here (below) is part of an article published in March this year which has been plagiarised by the author in the OP. Facts presented and tone of voice way off. According to the National Elephant Institute there are fewer than 4,000 elephants left in Thailand. If about 2,000 are in the wild that leaves fewer than 2,000 domesticated and most of those are owned by individuals, NOT in camps. To my knowledge there are no more than about 20 camps in Thailand serving tourists, but on that I stand to be corrected if anyone has the real number. And I know of only one camp that has trained an elephant to walk on a tight rope - most certainly this is not a common spectacle, as the writer tried to imply. Terrible though it is, let's not get carried awy.

The last time elephant rescues were in the news a few months ago, the rescued eles were taken to the National Elephant Institute in Lampang to be cared for. It is also known as the Thai Elephant Conservation Center. It does a great job.

"Camps and zoos featuring elephants tightrope walking, playing football or performing in painting contests employ almost 4,000 domesticated elephants for the amusement of tourists. Conservation activists accuse the industry of using illicitly-acquired animals to supplement its legal supply, with wild elephants caught in Myanmar and sold across the border into one of around 150 camps.

Domestic elephants in Thailand -- where the pachyderm is a national symbol -- have been employed en masse in the tourist trade since they found themselves unemployed in 1989 when logging was banned. Just 2,000 of the animals remain in the wild."

Copyright (2013) AFP. All rights reserved. Published 2 March, 2013

Amelie Bottollier-Depois, Agence France Presse