Elephant Deal 'shabby And Corrupt'

[george]

Elephant deal 'shabby and corrupt'

AUSTRALIA: -- A deal to send eight Thai elephants to two Australian zoos has met with a stinging rebuke from an English-language Bangkok newspaper, which branded the transaction as "shabby and corrupt".

While accepting the sale of eight elephants is probably a "done deal", The Nation, in an editorial, said the sale "belies even worse abuses fuelled by greed and corruption".

"It highlights Thailand's shabby record with regard to its own indigenous wildlife," it said.

The deal finally received the green light from Canberra last week. Eight elephants housed in quarantine at a Bangkok university will soon be on their way to Sydney's Taronga Zoo and Melbourne Zoo.

"The exchange has been condemned by wildlife groups in both countries, who say the elephants should remain in their native habitat and not be sent abroad," the paper said.

The paper said the transaction called for a cash payment and in-kind contributions from Australia in the form of 10 indigenous Australian species - koalas, kangaroos and other marsupials.

Australian officials have defended the deal, saying it would be part of a captive elephant breeding program.

Conservationists say they fear that such a move could set a dangerous precedent.

The Nation said: "It is an important debate, because of the treasured status here of elephants and the reality that Thailand has difficulty managing their welfare. The Kingdom has about 3000 captive elephants and 1600 in the wild, but their natural habitat has dwindled.

"The elephant deal is done, but many other dubious and troubling animal exchanges are looming, and they have the potential to generate far greater controversy."

--AAP 2005-07-26

[khall64au]

Elephant deal 'shabby and corrupt'

AUSTRALIA: -- A deal to send eight Thai elephants to two Australian zoos has met with a stinging rebuke from an English-language Bangkok newspaper, which branded the transaction as "shabby and corrupt".

While accepting the sale of eight elephants is probably a "done deal", The Nation, in an editorial, said the sale "belies even worse abuses fuelled by greed and corruption".

"It highlights Thailand's shabby record with regard to its own indigenous wildlife," it said.

The deal finally received the green light from Canberra last week. Eight elephants housed in quarantine at a Bangkok university will soon be on their way to Sydney's Taronga Zoo and Melbourne Zoo.

"The exchange has been condemned by wildlife groups in both countries, who say the elephants should remain in their native habitat and not be sent abroad," the paper said.

The paper said the transaction called for a cash payment and in-kind contributions from Australia in the form of 10 indigenous Australian species - koalas, kangaroos and other marsupials.

Australian officials have defended the deal, saying it would be part of a captive elephant breeding program.

Conservationists say they fear that such a move could set a dangerous precedent.

The Nation said: "It is an important debate, because of the treasured status here of elephants and the reality that Thailand has difficulty managing their welfare. The Kingdom has about 3000 captive elephants and 1600 in the wild, but their natural habitat has dwindled.

"The elephant deal is done, but many other dubious and troubling animal exchanges are looming, and they have the potential to generate far greater controversy."

--AAP 2005-07-26

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Has anybody seen the elephant enclosure at Sydney's Taronga park Zoo? Great view of the harbour.... but I wouldn't want to be an elephant roaming such a barren enclosure when I can be an elephant "breeding" in Thailand.

Same same for the kangaroos, koalas, etc bound for re-location in nothern Thailand.

Wildlife is not a "product" to be traded and with ease of travel these days, education is no excuse. Go see the wildlife in their native countries!

[terdsak_12]

Exactly, politics aside these elephants are blessed for the rest of their lives if they can make it to Oz. You ain't gonna see them begging for cucumber bits at the side of the road.

[Jai Dee]

As an Aussi I have mixed feelings on this issue.

I only hope that trained experts from both countries have the final say in the relative animal(s) new habitats and constant care.

[ozzydom]

The new enclosure at Taronga Zoo for the Thai elephants has been featured on ABC TV and it looks really great. It should not be forgotten that these are an endangered species in Thailand thanks to habitat destruction and poaching and the animals going to Oz are to be part of a captive breeding program aimed at ensuring against the extinction of the species. These zoos have a worldwide reputation at breeding endangered species for return to their native habitats as a guard against extinction of the particular species.

[khall64au]

The new enclosure at Taronga Zoo for the Thai elephants has been featured on ABC TV and it looks really great. It should not be forgotten that these are an endangered species in Thailand thanks to habitat destruction and poaching and the animals going to Oz are to be part of a captive breeding program aimed at ensuring against the extinction of the species. These zoos have a worldwide reputation at breeding endangered species for return to their native habitats as a guard against extinction of the particular species.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

But if the native habitat is destroyed... where do "endangered" elephants live???

[Johpa]

Elephant deal 'shabby and corrupt'

AUSTRALIA: -- A deal to send eight Thai elephants to two Australian zoos has met with a stinging rebuke from an English-language Bangkok newspaper, which branded the transaction as "shabby and corrupt"......

The Nation said: "It is an important debate, because of the treasured status here of elephants and the reality that Thailand has difficulty managing their welfare. The Kingdom has about 3000 captive elephants and 1600 in the wild, but their natural habitat has dwindled. .....

--AAP 2005-07-26

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Elephants are perhaps treasured in the collective mind of the Thai nation but they are certainly not treasured in fact and deed outside a few individuals and institutions up north. If elephants were treasured then their environment would also be treasured and that is simply not the situation within His Majesty's Kingdom.

Thailand already has more tamed elephants than it can handle. Too many are poorly taken care of at the smaller elephant camps (pang chaang) and it is difficult enough for Pho Liang to feed his well cared for herd up at the Mae Sa camp. I can only shudder at the conditions at a Bangkok University or zoo.

So how can The Nation take issue when it admits that Thailand "has difficulty managing their welfare?" As there is an inability to manage the species within Thailand why not send some out to the more progressive zoos around the world to help protect the species?

[khall64au]

Elephant deal 'shabby and corrupt'

AUSTRALIA: -- A deal to send eight Thai elephants to two Australian zoos has met with a stinging rebuke from an English-language Bangkok newspaper, which branded the transaction as "shabby and corrupt"......

The Nation said: "It is an important debate, because of the treasured status here of elephants and the reality that Thailand has difficulty managing their welfare. The Kingdom has about 3000 captive elephants and 1600 in the wild, but their natural habitat has dwindled. .....

--AAP 2005-07-26

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Elephants are perhaps treasured in the collective mind of the Thai nation but they are certainly not treasured in fact and deed outside a few individuals and institutions up north. If elephants were treasured then their environment would also be treasured and that is simply not the situation within His Majesty's Kingdom.

Thailand already has more tamed elephants than it can handle. Too many are poorly taken care of at the smaller elephant camps (pang chaang) and it is difficult enough for Pho Liang to feed his well cared for herd up at the Mae Sa camp. I can only shudder at the conditions at a Bangkok University or zoo.

So how can The Nation take issue when it admits that Thailand "has difficulty managing their welfare?" As there is an inability to manage the species within Thailand why not send some out to the more progressive zoos around the world to help protect the species?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

blah, blah, blah.... to live in a rai (or equivalent) of boring space ... where they they get to pace back and forth in front the 'paying public'???

[stumonster]

Elephant importation delayed

July 28, 2005

TWO Australian zoos have agreed not to transport eight Asian elephants from Thailand until October.

The International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), RSPCA Australia, and Humane Society International (HSI) have taken Taronga and Melbourne zoos and federal Environment Minister Ian Campbell to the Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT) over the decision to bring the elephants into Australia.

Senator Campbell last Wednesday said the Government had approved permits for the zoos to import the animals.

But the animal welfare groups are fighting to have the decision overturned by the AAT on the basis the zoos cannot meet the elephants' biological and behavioural needs.

Tribunal president Justice Gary Downes today set down the matter for a week-long hearing starting on September 26, and counsel for the zoos John Griffiths SC agreed to extend the deadline for the elephants' transportation at least until the end of that week.

The elephants will remain in a quarantine centre in Thailand, where they have spent the past nine months, until that date.

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/commo...55E1702,00.html

[Jimmy in Bangkok]

I wonder what the quarantine centre is like?