Weep, Asia, for the great beasts

By James East
STRAITS TIMES THAILAND BUREAU

IT IS not as if the world's elephant experts gathering in Bangkok needed any reminder that Asia's jumbos are under threat, but they got it anyway.

The death on Sunday of a baby elephant, injured in a landmine blast on the Thai-Myanmar border, is just the latest proof that time is running out for Asia's wild beasts of burden.

The mother, Pang Mohey, survived with horrible wounds but vets from Friends of the Asian Elephant said the veteran log-puller had tears in her eyes as she watched her youngster die.

Asia should weep for the loss of its wondrous beasts of burden.

Intelligent and loyal, for centuries the lumbering yet graceful animals have served the continent well, dragging the logs that built India's railroads, Myanmar's once great fleet of river boats and Thailand's palaces.

They have carried armies into battle and symbolised the authority of kings.

But what hard-driving mahouts and ivory poachers failed to do landmine blasts, amphetamine-pill diets, city pollution and lack of habitat may finally achieve.

Which is why 80 experts are meeting in Bangkok this week to talk about how to save Asia's magnificent elephants.

What is happening in Thailand is a story writ large. In 1965, there were 11,200 domesticated elephants; now there are 2,500.

In Laos there are about 1,200, in Sri Lanka about 200 and in Malaysia a handful. Across Asia, there are only about 15,000.

Elephant specialist Richard Lair said Asia had to register its domestic elephants under one standard, allowing officials to contact owners, to find out where the animals came from, to track populations and to enforce welfare laws.

Each elephant would have a number. 'In law enforcement, such a number is needed to prevent abuse, to foil theft, but more importantly to stop illegal trade across international borders, which is rife,' he said.

Across Asia it is a similar story. Unless more is done to preserve forests, return domesticated elephants to the wild, enforce international standards of care and put tourist money back into elephant preservation, the last of Asia's magnificent beasts may be headed for the elephant graveyard.