Elephant Skin Belts

[Saan]

I was at Anusarn market on Saturday night when I noticed a stall with some nice looking grey belts. I asked about them and the stallholder told me they were made from elephant skin. He didn't know there origin as he just receives them from a supplier. The belts are marked with an elephant head and plainly say elephant hide. I bought a very nice cow hide belt.

Does anyone know if it is legal so sell elephant products. Are the hides from naturally deceased elephants? We all know ivory trade is banned. But what is the point of banning ivory if elephants are being killed for their hides.

Edited February 20, 2012 by Saan

[sticklee]

If not they certainly should be. Anyone buying or wearing one should be ashamed of themselves. Even so there is probably a steady supply from highly placed police and government officials.

[worgeordie]

I believe they are made from water buffalo hide made to look

like elephant hide, many years ago Cobra Shoes used to make

shoes that where marketed as elephant hide but where buffalo

regards Worgeordie.

[Greenside]

Whatever the legal status, the trade in products made (or purported to be made) from endangered animal parts should be shunned by all educated right thinking people. As long as those who sell these items perceive a demand, unscrupulous suppliers will be out there killing things to fill it. I appreciate you didn't buy the belt, but I would have gone one further and avoided buying anything at all from the stall, and telling the owner why.

When I think of all the crappy myths that cause the destruction of species I get sad and angry. The Chinese in particular have a lot to answer for in my opinion.

Edited February 20, 2012 by Greenside

[barefoot1988]

they are illegal. but not to worry, the odds of having the stallholder trying to rip you off is potentially higher than it is made from genuine elephant skins

[zippydedodah]

isn't prostitution illegal? or am i mistaken on this point (wikipedia supports me)? yet, women and men sell their bodies all day and night long... it's thailand, dude...

[DiamondKing]

Elephant Skin looks really good on Elephants,

as for you

[Saan]

Elephant Skin looks really good on Elephants,

as for you

They don't look good on me as I would never buy any elephant products. I hope my posting alerted people to the possibilty of being sold a belt that came from an elephant hide. After I saw the belts on the one stall I noticed they were available on a number of other stalls.

So you can stick your jibe up your Kyber.

[thaimiller]

There's one thing, you should always remember your waist size as elephants never forget. P.S OP I think DK was saying that you should get the red card if you wear such a belt. I think he agrees with you not against you as you have taken it.

Edited February 20, 2012 by thaimiller

[millwall_fan]

I've got several belts that say 'Elephant skin' that I bought in Nong Khai market some years ago. I confess it never occurred to me to find out if they were legal or not. I suppose I saw them on open sale and assumed it was OK to buy them. They were only about 150 baht each. I needed something strong to take on my waistline and they do a great job in that regard. Elephants are great creatures, but then so are pigs and I eat pork.

[KRS1]

I love elephants

[WinnieTheKhwai]

I hate elephants. (seriously) But also wouldn't want anything elephant leather, in the hypothetical case that such items exist, which they don't. So it's pretty pointless topic overall. Might as well discuss giant-squid leather.

[thepanom]

elephant name and picture, but it is cow or buffalo hide, this is sold here for a long time, some of them have a zip inside, and are sold as money belts

[millwall_fan]

elephant name and picture, but it is cow or buffalo hide, this is sold here for a long time, some of them have a zip inside, and are sold as money belts

Thank you thepanom, my belts have got zips inside, I wondered what they were for. So you're telling me that whereas I thought a pachyderm was helping to keep the old trews at full mast, it is in fact a water buffalo. Next time I'm in Nong Khai I'll read the Thai Trade Descriptions Act to them.

[Beetlejuice]

The odds are that these are not genuine elephant hide belts. But I wouldn`t buy them anyway, just in case.

The thought that anyone would walk around feeling proud to wear one of these things is just sick.

[Greenside]

Seems to me there are several people here not getting the point. Even if the products are not genuine elephant skin, buying them reinforces demand and keeps the trade in the real stuff going. If the guy on the stall in the night market sees that all his products advertised as "Elephant Leather" are still on the rack at the end of the month, he's not likely to be ordering any more and that includes the hopefully rare occasions when someone offers him the real thing. I know it's a stretch to think that stuff in the night market is genuine but if we all avoiding buying any of the products that even claims to be from endangered species the trade would cease.

[thaimiller]

Its bigger than night markets etc, they are readily available in Robinsons in Airport Plaza.

[el jefe]

I'm confused. There are legal sources for elephant hide. (Do your own google search.)

So are you complaining because elephants are an endangered species or because the hide may or may not have been obtained legally?

I know one place in CM that will get you an export certificate that states that the hides were from legally culled elephants. The certificate is available for a very small fee. I doubt it's enough to pay off the proper authorities if it was illegal, but I can't state that for certain.

So if there is a good chance that the elephant skins are legal, there should be no problem buying and using them, right? Why is it OK to kill a water buffalo, or a cow, pig, snake, stingray, or dog for it's skin?

[Greenside]

I'm confused. There are legal sources for elephant hide. (Do your own google search.)

So are you complaining because elephants are an endangered species or because the hide may or may not have been obtained legally?

I know one place in CM that will get you an export certificate that states that the hides were from legally culled elephants. The certificate is available for a very small fee. I doubt it's enough to pay off the proper authorities if it was illegal, but I can't state that for certain.

So if there is a good chance that the elephant skins are legal, there should be no problem buying and using them, right? Why is it OK to kill a water buffalo, or a cow, pig, snake, stingray, or dog for it's skin?

I'm sure there are some regional exceptions but I tend to view the "legal culling" of elephants on the same level as the Japanese assertion that they're only killing whales for scientific purposes. The products are too valuable to sanction grey areas like that.

[Saan]

There's one thing, you should always remember your waist size as elephants never forget. P.S OP I think DK was saying that you should get the red card if you wear such a belt. I think he agrees with you not against you as you have taken it.

Thanks thaimiller

My apoligies to DK if I misread his post.