From History to Modern Days: Thailand and Elephant
8 januari 2021 - Bangkok, Thailand
Elephants in Thailand have been respected and revered for millennia, and through the use of their image as symbolic of the monarchy, religion, government, and culture, they have become inextricably intertwined with Thai society, mythology, and daily life. Elephants are seen to symbolise a variety of positive traits, such as physical and mental strength, responsibility, durability, longevity, peacekeeping, and loyalty.
The historical relationship between elephants and Thailand is a long and complex one. Elephants are represented as sacred creatures and Thai Monarchy, as well as in the fact that it is both the official national animal and national symbol of Thailand. In addition, a white elephant was the primary feature of various national flags of Thailand for 100 years (c. 1817-1917).
During the late 16th century, captive Thai elephants were commonly used for labour and war, and have been used to fight against many countries such as Burmese, Malay, and Khmer armies. The most famous instance of an elephant participating in warfare in Thailand is that of the “Elephant Battle”, or Songkram Yuddhahatthi (สงครามยุทธหัตถี), in 1593. During an invasion of the Kingdom of Ayutthaya by the Burmese army, the Siamese King Naresuan the Great challenged the Burmese Crown Prince Mingyi Swa to a personal combat duel on elephant-back.
At this time, it was common practice in Thailand for the King or general to ride an elephant into combat, accompanied on the animal by a signaller and steerer. It was common for leaders to fight one another in personal combat on elephants, sometimes as a means of deciding the outcome of a battle. In the end, King Naresuan was able to defeat the Burmese Prince, securing victory over the enemy forces. This event is often seen as a testament to the courage of Thai people.
However, the prevalence of firearms made elephants redundant as a front-line weapon, hence they were given new roles in transport, engineering, and construction, and continued to be used as a part of the Thai military until the 19th Century. One of the most prominent roles of elephants during the 19-20th century is Logging.
Traditionally, elephants would be enrolled in training schools around 3-5 years of age. Over the course of 5-6 years, they would be tamed and taught commands, such as stop, walk, crouch, pick up, move, lift, pull, and push, and would form a close working relationship with their Mahout (elephant rider, trainer, or keeper).
They would learn the intricacies of hauling and stacking logs, either by pulling the lumber behind them using chains, or by using their tusks and versatile trunks to move the logs. Conditions for the elephants in logging camps depended on the company, but the work was always harsh, hot, and dangerous, and many elephants in logging camps passed away at around 50 years of ages, decades short of their average life expectancy.
The first governmental logging controls were implemented in 1898, and illegal logging operations have existed in Thailand ever since. Logging was officially banned entirely in 1989, in response to catastrophic flooding the previous year, which caused the deaths of 350 people, and the severity of which was exacerbated by soil erosion from widespread deforestation.
The great tragedy of elephants working in the logging industry is that they have unwittingly contributed to the decline of their species. In the early 1900’s, there were an estimated 100,000 domestic or captive elephants in Thailand. At the present time, there are approximately 4,000-5,000 total elephants in Thailand. In 1950, approximately 70% of the country was forested, whereas today, only 25% of that forested land remains, much of which is in poor condition.
An obvious, direct correlation can be drawn between the decline in elephant numbers and the destruction of their environment in Thailand in the past century. Not only have elephants lost a significant portion of their natural habitat and a major source of food, but the deforestation and encroachment upon their former homes has resulted in countless instances of human-elephant conflict.
Nowadays, elephants are still utilised by illegal loggers in the country, as well as being used legally by the Forest Department to remove stores of illegally harvested teak wood recovered in remote locations. They also continue to be used in the logging industry in neighbouring countries, such as Myanmar and Laos.
In order to preserve Thai elephant’s welfare, elephant sanctuaries have been set up to promote the living condition of Thai elephants. Elephant Jungle Sanctuary is a project that sets up ethical sanctuaries in Thailand. Visitors will be able to feed, bath and play with the animals on the visits, as well as learning as much as possible about these animals and why it is important to protect them. Money was raised from visits and donations to provide veterinary care, accommodation, food, and rescution to the elephants.
Elephant Jungle Sanctuaries are located in 3 places: Pattaya, Chiangmai, and Phuket. Therefore, the visitors can enjoy the experience with these magnificent animals in various locations. The first elephant jungle sanctuary was in Chiang Mai. It is a joint initiative between the members of the Karen hills-tribes and Chiang Mai locals who were concerned about the welfare of elephants in Thailand.
They offer various activities that can be done with the elephants such as swimming, feeding, and bathing. The only thing that is prohibited is riding since elephants’ spines are not the same as horses or humans. Riding elephants will degenerate their spine and danger the welfare of their lives. However, the pandemic made it difficult for visitors to offer physical help to preserve the living of Thai Elephants.
Thanks to the technology, Help for the elephants can be made through an online platform: The Care Project foundation. They provide medical care for both healthy and injured elephants. The biggest help that they need is funding in order to preserve the wellbeing of Thai Elephants. No good deed is ever too small, one helping hand can help change the lives of these animals into a better place. The welfare and health of these animals is very important not only to the animals themselves but the nature of the world as well.
Be a part of something bigger, preserve the lives of the elephants.
The Care Project Foundation Volunteer program is project-based. This means that it will always be different. As volunteers, you will be signing up to be of service to the elephants and the community involved in raising them.
Donate and support The Care Project Foundation and Elephant Jungle Sanctuary to help feed our elephants, Medical supplies, Supplement food and support our Mahouts.