Thai Elephant Killed, Mutilated 'For Restaurants'

[george]

Thai elephant killed, mutilated 'for restaurants'

Thai elephant. File photo. Source: wikipedia.org

BANGKOK, January 5, 2012 (AFP) - Thai wildlife officials on Thursday said body parts from a dead wild elephant found without its tusks, tail and penis were likely destined for restaurants in tourist areas.

The creature, which was discovered in Kaeng Krachan National Park near the Myanmar border in central Thailand on Monday, is believed to have died at the hands of a local gang of poachers.

"They cut its tusks, trunk, sexual organ and tail. Those parts must be sold to the middleman and will be sent to restaurants in the main tourist spots like Phuket, Surat Thani and Hua Hin," park head Chaiwat Limlikhitaksorn told AFP.

"There is a team of elephant hunters in this area. They are stateless people who live along Thai-Myanmar border," he added.

The wildlife department has found four elephant carcasses killed by poachers in the past three years.

Chaiwat blamed ineffective laws for the increase in the crime and putting more than 250 wild elephants and the officers in danger.

Thailand is known as a global hub for the illegal ivory trade, with a dramatic rise in seizures of tusks in recent years as the decimation of the kingdom's elephants has seen poachers turn to Africa for their plunder.

The country has an ivory sculpting tradition dating back to the late 19th century when an estimated 100,000 elephants roamed the kingdom.

Since then most have been lost to poachers and the clearing of their forest habitat, and now just a few thousand remain, many working in the tourism industry.

Benefiting from its location, Thailand exports much of the ivory to China -- where it is traditionally used in medicinal powders -- and Japan.

-- (c) Copyright AFP 2012-01-05

[longstebe]

Not long seen that on the news, bloody terrible.

Posted with Thaivisa App http://apps.thaivisa.com

[animatic]

This is for very rich Chinese tourists, not the vast majority of people.

And some other Asians who think they will be revitalized by eating certain parts of powerful animals. And a few amoral collector types who just MUST have ivory, when gorgeous substitues exist.

Not your typical gourmet exotic food fan.

They almost always stay to legal types of catch when leaving Beef, Chicken, Pork and Shrimp behind for an evening.

Edited January 5, 2012 by animatic

[chooka]

"Thailand is known as a global hub for the illegal ivory trade, with a dramatic rise in seizures of tusks in recent years as the decimation of the kingdom's elephants has seen poachers turn to Africa for their plunder"

It is not just the "HUB" for Illegal ivory trade. Bangkok as been declared the "HUB" of trading in rare and endangered species from around the world. Not just for exotic medicines but also as pets. Watched an Australian documentary a couple of weeks ago (4 Corners) where the BIB were doing raids on the back alleys and seedy dens of Bangkok. You could get animal parts, live bird, tiger, bear cubs what every you wanted from around the world. Billion baht business.

[Pib]

And the scum who killed the elephant didn't have a second thought in doing so....absolute scumbags.

[hellodolly]

And the scum who killed the elephant didn't have a second thought in doing so....absolute scumbags.

triple that

[softgeorge]

"Thailand is known as a global hub for the illegal ivory trade, with a dramatic rise in seizures of tusks in recent years as the decimation of the kingdom's elephants has seen poachers turn to Africa for their plunder"

It is not just the "HUB" for Illegal ivory trade. Bangkok as been declared the "HUB" of trading in rare and endangered species from around the world. Not just for exotic medicines but also as pets. Watched an Australian documentary a couple of weeks ago (4 Corners) where the BIB were doing raids on the back alleys and seedy dens of Bangkok. You could get animal parts, live bird, tiger, bear cubs what every you wanted from around the world. Billion baht business.

I think I saw that a while back, a guy operating a store was found with a quantity of tiger and elephant penises along with other banned items. He stated that they were left over from his father/grandfather's stock and were purely for momento's and he no longer sold them. BIB said, ok that's fine and went to the next place.

[surangw]

Elephant tongue was on the menu in Rhodesia.

[RKASA]

They copy and fake most everything but this stuff. Seems the margin would be great if they came up with fake elephant dong soup or something.

[tukkytuktuk]

Who would eat an elephants penis? Are you sure it's used in Thai cuisine? And if it is how do you prove it's an elephants and not a buffalos? Plus how much would you have to pay for it?

[PoodMaiDai]

I was just thinking about how I could use some spicy elephant penis right now.

[PingManDan]

Elephant penis to be eaten in restaurants, in Phukett area? I hope that the _ssholes who kill these poor animals are caught, and prosecuted, or better yet hung for public viewing,, but also hope the receivers of this supposed delicacy, choke and gag on the penis and die with it lodged in their throat.

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[softgeorge]

Who would eat an elephants penis? Are you sure it's used in Thai cuisine? And if it is how do you prove it's an elephants and not a buffalos? Plus how much would you have to pay for it?

The Chinese.

[FOODLOVER]

Hope they gag on the penis!

[noitom]

The newspaper makes out that the "stateless gang" of poachers operates near the Myannmar/Thai border implying and deflecting guilt to non-Thais. What the newspaper should be doing is a good piece of investigative journalism on the market destination for this trade. For example, the dealers and restaurant end destinations. It wouldn't take the newspaper much imagination to send a "skilled" investigative journalist to smoke out the end user restaurants and medicinal herb shops and then back into the poachers. The fact is if the end users and distribution channels were eliminated, the poachers would find something else to do and the elephants would live happily ever after. You never see anything close to this sort of investigative, useful journalism in Thai press.

[CockneyGit]

Elephant penis on toast anyone..??

Yummy!

[sparebox2]

Who would eat an elephants penis? Are you sure it's used in Thai cuisine? And if it is how do you prove it's an elephants and not a buffalos? Plus how much would you have to pay for it?

The Chinese.

Please don't try to be raicist.

I also know a lot of Farangs (in person) who loves Durians.

[Pib]

Who would eat an elephants penis? Are you sure it's used in Thai cuisine? And if it is how do you prove it's an elephants and not a buffalos? Plus how much would you have to pay for it?

The Chinese.

Please don't try to be raicist.

I also know a lot of Farangs (in person) who loves Durians.

But a Durian is a tropical fruit (considered stinky by some while considered great tasting by others). Not sure I would compare picking/eating a Durian to killing/eating an elephant.

[sparebox2]

Who would eat an elephants penis? Are you sure it's used in Thai cuisine? And if it is how do you prove it's an elephants and not a buffalos? Plus how much would you have to pay for it?

The Chinese.

Please don't try to be raicist.

I also know a lot of Farangs (in person) who loves Durians.

But a Durian is a tropical fruit (considered stinky by some while considered great tasting by others). Not sure I would compare picking/eating a Durian to killing/eating an elephant.

All I am saying is that while most Asian loves Durians, some don't. And quite a few Farangs loves Durians too.

Same applies: while most Asian loves exotic food, some don't. And quite a few Farangs loves exotic too.

There is a chance, how ever slim, that the elephant's killing was link to a Farang exotic food lover.

I know a safari resturant (very popular to tourist) in Kenya, where you can eat ELEPHANT, zebra, etc. And most of the clients are Farang on safari tour.

[EastSaxCol]

Elephant penis on toast anyone..??

Yummy!

Even if the subject warranted a witty quip that still wouldn't be funny.

Edited January 6, 2012 by EastSaxCol

[stevehaigh]

the poachers and the customers who buy the body parts should suffer the same fate

[cowslip]

Let's face it, it is extremely likely that there are a lot of high-ranking people in Thailand who believe in this sort of thing and support it or even take part in it.

[ginjag]

Hope they gag on the penis!

Thousands do in Pattaya and other places.

Back on topic-----------The poachers should be put at a 1 to 1 situ with an elephant, no weapons. see how he fairs when he attacks it. Fact that the elephant outmatches the brains of these shit killers, these people are not kids, they are the teachers of Thai children and most likely have children, selfish greedy no feelings, sorry but it is quite common here, That doesn't say that there are only these types here, it says it IS common..........send them all to inactive posts (mental institutions)

[cowslip]

THe poachers get very little for their efforts, it is these higher up the chain that make the REAL money.

Eating animal parts is only financially viable as long as the CONSUMERS know what they are eating....they are the ones to blame.

[cowslip]

THe most obvious thing in Pattaya is the blatant advertising of sharks-fin soup by many large restaurants........

[cowslip]

"Stateless" people are merely pawns in the game - as they are without passport or papers etc., they are easily exploited. THey are persecuted in Burma and treated as scum in Thailand, they can't work legally and the very people who prevent them from normal work are most likely the ones who "offer them a way out" by buying these animal parts.

Edited January 6, 2012 by cowslip

[Frankster]

Elephant tongue was on the menu in Rhodesia.

Never saw that when i lived in Rhodesia in 1979 ...

[julesdick]

Who would eat an elephants penis? Are you sure it's used in Thai cuisine? And if it is how do you prove it's an elephants and not a buffalos? Plus how much would you have to pay for it?

The Chinese.

Please don't try to be raicist.

I also know a lot of Farangs (in person) who loves Durians.

Durian..... mmmmm nom nom nom

[somdej]

Mkaes me soi angry to read things like this. I would have no hesitation whatsoever to shoot one of these poachers staright through the head.

[cowslip]

Elephant penis on toast anyone..??

Yummy!

Even if the subject warranted a witty quip that still wouldn't be funny.

Yes - humour is useful as it often gets over a point more succinctly, however I fail to see the above comment does anything but illustrate the stupidity of the poster.....not funny....and should be circumcised from this thread...