A NEW CHAPTER FOR THE THAI ELEPHANT AND ITS MAHOUT:
THE SEARCH FOR SOLUTIONS
SUSTAINABLE CONSERVATION:
THE WAY FORWARD
Ms Bilaibhan Sampatisiri, President of Treasure Our Elephants Fund - Foundation for the Conservation of Northern Elephants and President of The Siam Society Under Royal Patronage offers her insight on the conservation of the elephant population in Thailand.
The Treasure Our Elephants Fund - Foundation for the Conservation of Northern Elephants was founded in July 1993 was to provide assistance to elephant populations found in the 11 northern provinces of Thailand: Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Lampang, Lamphun, Mae Hong Son, Nan, Phayao, Prae, Sukhothai, Tak and Uttaradit, particularly the growing number that are in distress.
At the same time, the Foundation has been working towards longer term solutions for the survival of the Asian elephant population in Thailand. In view of the gravity and urgency of the situation, and now that both governmental and non-governmental groups (NGOs) have recognised the problems at hand, whenever possible, the Foundation works through existing organisations including the Forest Industry Organization (FIO), the National Elephant Institute which includes the Thai Elephant Conservation Center (TECC) in Lampang, the Governor's Provincial Councils, local councils and NGOs.
President Bilaibhan Sampatisiri believes that "longer term solutions" call for the achievement of sustainable conservation in the long range to ensure the existence of a reasonable number of elephants in an environment that is ideal for them and to offer the best life possible under the present circumstances. To succeed in this mission, four fundamental components must be addressed - legislation, education, the establishment of permanent sanctuaries for the elephants, and the preservation of the genetic diversity of Thai elephants through the collection, preservation, and freezing of elephant semen for future artificial insemination when the need arises.
- LEGISLATION
Recognising that all of the existing legislation that impacts the domesticated elephant is outdated, new legislation has been proposed. Under this new legislation, for which a public hearing was held in August 2002, it is proposed that the elephant be proclaimed the "national animal". The next step is to ensure its effective enforcement and pave the way for the expropriation of domesticated elephants.
The new draft bill goes beyond the rights of an elephant owner. It sets out specific criteria to be met by elephant owners and defines their responsibilities with regard to the care and welfare of their animals. With a full-grown elephant needing between 250-300kg of food and 200 litres of water per day, it is of little surprise that in ancient times, other than the Royal Elephants that came under the care of the Royal Household, those who could afford to keep an elephant or elephants were of individuals of reasonable social stature.
The new draft legislation specifies that all wild elephants will remain protected under the provisions of the Wildlife Preservation Act of BE 2535 (1932).
- EDUCATION
Education is all encompassing and includes all forms of education through all types of available media and channels, including museums. The country's capabilities and accomplishments in this area are well-established and internationally recognised as exemplified by the Elephant and Mahout Training School programme, the world's first training school for mahouts, offered by the National Elephant Institute (NEI) in Lampang. The foundation itself is also in the process of publishing a book on elephant care to be distributed to owners and mahouts.
- THE ESTABLISHMENT OF PERMANENT SANCTUARIES
Next on the list is a 'home' with an appropriate environment for the elephants. Any long-range strategy for saving Thai elephants will involve the recovery and restoration of their natural habitats. In 1998, Treasure Our Elephants was able to collect sufficient donations to subsidize the relocation of illegal squatters from 200 rai (80 acres) of Forestry Department land adjacent to the FIO Centre in Lampang province. The land is now being restored for use by elephants by planting both food and medicinal vegetation. In 1999, the Foundation hopes to recover an additional 200 rai of habitat adjacent to the first area.
In addition, it is vital to ensure that the "social system" of the elephants remains intact. However, after years of having been dependent on their mahouts for food and to look out for them, the elephants are not likely to be able to survive independently without any human intervention, we will still need to maintain some level of interaction with the elephants by having a staff of elephant keepers on duty to care for the elephants residing within the sanctuary. The sanctuary would also serve as an educational facility where visitors would be able to come by to observe and study the elephants, and learn more about them.
The NEI in Lampang is ready to undertake all of this. There is land available - tracts of degraded forest land that can be reclaimed and rehabilitated. Ultimately, there needs to be sincere intention, true commitment, effort and determination on the part of the Thai government. That is the bottom-line.
- THE PRESERVATION OF THE GENETIC DIVERSITY OF THAI ELEPHANTS &
SELECTIVE BREEDING
Deeply-concerned about the disproportionate ratio between the birth and death rate of elephants they had noted on field trips, a team of young Thai voluntary veterinarians from Chiang Mai University, Kasetsart University, and NEI, have undertaken considerable scientific research in the area of cutting-edge elephant reproductive and biochemical technologies in the hope of reversing the trend and preventing impending extinction. Techniques in the collection, preservation, and freezing of elephant semen for future artificial insemination have been pioneered and perfected and Thai veterinarians are the first in the world to have successfully conducted the procedure with the use of frozen semen from the elephant semen bank. Advances in selective breeding through artificial insemination as well as in natural mating reduces the incidence of inbreeding and maintains a healthy gene pool.
Treasure Our Elephants works in conjunction with NEI, Chiang Mai University and Kasetsart University to provide opportunities for volunteer veterinarians in their fourth and fifth year of university and trainees to go on field trips up into the remote villages of the mountainous north where they check on the health and well-being of the elephants, and treat injured and sick elephants, and offer advice to the owners. Hence by working with elephants, the veterinarian trainees gain real life field experience and are able to collect valuable data for future research.
In working towards the survival of the Asian elephant population in Thailand, these four elements -- legislation, education, the establishment of permanent sanctuaries for the elephants and the preservation of the genetic diversity of Thai elephants through the collection, preservation, and freezing of elephant semen for future artificial insemination, must be addressed and implemented simultaneously. That's sustainable conservation.
Introducing
TREASURE OUR ELEPHANTS FUND -
FOUNDATION FOR THE CONSERVATION OF NORTHERN ELEPHANTS
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Q&A with President Bilaibhan Sampatisiri
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ELEPHANT DISTRESS HOTLINE
The Treasure Our Elephants foundation maintains a "Hotline" to receive information about elephants who are injured, ill, mistreated, or otherwise in need of assistance. Upon receipt of such information by phone, fax, or e-mail, the foundation does its best to assist.
Contact information:
Treasure Our Elephants Fund -
Foundation for the Conservation of Northern Elephants
IN BANGKOK
Tel: 66-(0)-2252-0141
Fax: 66-(0)-2252-0142
E-mail: pegpeg99@mozart.inet.co.th
Postal address:
2/4 Wireless Road, Patumwan, Bangkok 10330
IN CHIANG MAI
Tel: 66-53-242-291
Fax: 66-53-300-020
Postal address:
29/4 Toonghotel Road, Muang, Chiang Mai 5000
SPECIAL ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
We take this opportunity to sincerely thank Ms Bilaibhan Sampatisiri, President of Treasure Our Elephants Fund - Foundation for the Conservation of Northern Elephants, Mr Chanatt Lauhawatana, Managing Director of the Forest Industry Organization, the parent organization of the National Elephant Institute of Thailand, and Mr Richard Lair, a leading authority on the Asian elephant who has devoted over twenty years working with the animals and studying conservation problems across Asia, author of "Gone Astray: The Care and Management of the Asian Elephant in Domesticity" and currently advisor to the National Elephant Institute (NEI) in Lampang, Thailand, for the kind advice and guidance, tremendous insight and enthusiastic support extended to News Room on this special feature. All images © National Elephant Institute. |
