Baby elephants not fit for shows

They need to be by their mother's side

Ploenpote Atthakor

Conservation week
A forestry official puts the finishing touches to stuffed animals as the Forestry Department prepares for Wildlife Protection and Conservation week between Dec 22-26. HRH Princess Chulabhorn will preside over the opening ceremony on Dec 22. - Boonnarong Bhudhipanya

Environmentalists are concerned about the apparent increase of baby elephants in the tourist industry and said they cannot survive if separated from their mothers too early.

Those who do survive are likely to develop bone diseases, said Somkiat Trongwongsa of Worldwide Fund for Nature (Thailand).

Most of the baby elephants used in entertainment shows are thought to have been poached from the wild, he said, adding that their mothers would have been killed.

The constant turnover of new baby elephants proves they were made orphans and could not survive without their mothers, he said.

Mr Somkiat said he twice visited a family recreation location in the outskirts of Bangkok which uses two elephant calves to entertain guests. He found the calves were different on his second visit.

The same situation exists in most other entertainment venues too, he said.

Alongkorn Mahannop, a veterinarian at Dusit Zoo and elephant expert, said most poached baby elephants died young.

He said this was because they need their mother's milk until they are at least three years old. Each day they consume large quantities of milk, which makes it costly to raise them without their mothers.

Their owners' inability to supply them with sufficient milk has led to bone diseases like paper bone syndrome and osteoporosis. These are the major causes of premature deaths among elephants, Mr Alongkorn said.

Environmentalists blame the situation on weak law enforcement and the ignorance of the authorities. They said there is no record of how many baby elephants are smuggled each year and claim it is virtually impossible to trace an elephant's origin since most owners claim their animals were born in captivity.

Mr Alongkorn said early registration of baby elephants would help solve the problem. Under the existing law, registration is not required until an elephant reaches eight years.

"Newly-born elephants should be fixed with a microchip to help trace their origin," Mr Alongkorn said.

Suraphol Duangkae, secretary general of Wildlife Fund Thailand, believes a national policy is needed to solve the problem and said the elephants would be better protected under the Wildlife Conservation and Protection Act. A strong push from the authorities, especially the Forestry Department, is needed to enact the law, he said.

Up to 70% of baby elephants used in tourism are believed to have been poached from the wild. Phuket is the major culprit, Mr Suraphol said, with up to 400-500 young animals used in hotels and entertainment businesses there.