Discovery documentary explores Thai human-elephant relationship

Friday, August 17, 2007

Discovery Channel Asia organized yesterday a sneak preview of a new documentary, entitled "Kingdom of the Elephants" which sheds light on the close relationship between elephants and humans in Northern Thailand.

"It has long been a tradition to use elephants for labor in Thailand," claimed Joseph Pontecorvo, who produced and directed the documentary. "The relationship between 'mahouts' and their elephants is also very intimate."

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The 90-minute documentary "Kingdom of the Elephants" will be broadcast on Animal Planet, a channel of Discovery Network Asia, next September

By Dimitri Bruyas, Special to The China Post

Way to gloss over the truth. The Mahouts are vicious and mean to the elephants. I've personally witnessed brutality and I've read a lot about it. The way they 'teach' elephants is called crushing... what an appropriate name for the way they crush the nature out of these wonderful beasts. Take a look at the National Geographic documentary http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/20...16_phajaan.html It's sickening the way animals are treated in Thailand.