Pachyderms and the Pandemic: Repercussions of COVID-19 for Elephants in Thailand

Due to the unfortunate circumstances created by the COVID-19 pandemic, both people and animals, including elephants are suffering from a lack of resources. All elephant camps or elephant sanctuaries in Thailand, including Elephant Jungle Sanctuary and The care project foundation, have been forced to close due to the outbreak of the virus, and we must rely more than ever on external help. The support of generous donors allows us to purchase food, dietary supplements, and veterinary supplies for our elephants, and the provision of these are currently our highest priority - We have 97 Thai elephants in our care. - Our largest expenses are elephant food, dietary supplements, and veterinary medicine. - COVID-19 has diminished our ability to provide a sufficient amount of these vital supplies to the elephants in our care. - We need help from previous visitors and other individuals who love elephants to continue to provide our gentle giants with the happiness and care they deserve.

The COVID-19 pandemic continues to wreak havoc worldwide, with devastating medical, economic, and cultural repercussions. In Thailand, millions of people have become unemployed or lost their primary source of income as a result of international containment measures, and it appears that the financial hardship for many is unlikely to abate significantly in the immediate future.

Thailand’s economy is heavily dependent on tourism, and with the onset of the pandemic, travel restrictions and rapidly declining tourist numbers have left many in the industry jobless and destitute. But it is not only humans who rely, directly or indirectly, on money generated from overseas travellers and domestic tourists – certain animals, too, are now subject to difficult times as a result of the loss of revenue. Most domestic elephants in Thailand are in some way involved in the tourist industry, either in ethical sanctuaries, elephant shows, or riding camps. Regardless of their approach or their stance on genuine elephant welfare, each of these operations relies heavily on income and support from international visitors to feed and provide veterinary treatment to their elephants in Thailand, maintain infrastructure, and pay their employees, including Mahouts (elephant caretakers).

With the indefinite emergency closures of almost every elephant sanctuary  or elephant camp in Thailand, many elephant owners and Mahouts who had previously leased their elephants to tourism operations have now been left in a position of dire uncertainty. Some elephant sanctuary or elephant camp have already been forced to cease operations permanently, and the majority of those that remain have been rendered financially unable to support their elephants in Thailand and employees, due to the relatively high cost of feeding elephants and maintaining their environment of elephant sanctuary such as elephant sanctuary in Chiang mai , elephant sanctuary in Pattaya or , elephant sanctuary in Phuket. Elephants typically eat around 10% of their body weight in food per day, and this year, a combination of forest fires and drought has devastated natural food sources, forcing Thailand elephant owners to rely heavily on crops to feed their animals. According to some sources, as many as 2,000 domestic elephants in Thailand are at risk of starvation if their present circumstances continue unaided. Furthermore, it is feared that Thai elephants whose owners are unable to feed them may be forced to participate in street begging, illegal logging activities, or other forms of hard labour.

The Thai people love elephants and they believe these animals represent Thailand in many positive ways, which is why elephants are on the emblems of many major governments such as the city of Bangkok, Chiang Rai Province, Chiang Mai Province and many more. In the past, elephants in Thailand were used as draught animals, mainly working in the logging industry. However, elephant labor was banned in the logging industry in 1989 and many of these domesticated elephants then found themselves in the tourism and entertainment industry. Elephants are not meant to work and carry people all day and while they had to work less in the entertainment industry, the mistreatment of the animals still took place. Finally, with better laws to protect the elephants, the treatment of these animals improved.

A large number of mahouts who have lost their jobs, or are otherwise concerned about the lack of financial security for themselves and the elephants in their care, have found it necessary to leave their places of employment in tourist areas, and return to their homes in remote villages. The cost of using a vehicle to transport an elephant is often prohibitively high, meaning many caretakers must make the arduous journey with their elephants on foot, sometimes walking up to 150km over the course of several days. As of the end of April, roughly 60 Thai elephants who had previously been working in the tourist hot-spots of Krabi, Phang-Nga, and Phuket had returned to their homes in Trang and Phattalung Provinces. Meanwhile, in Northern Thailand, at least 100 Thai elephants had left their places of employment near Chiang Mai and walked with their Mahouts to their traditional homes in villages throughout Mae Chaem District. When the elephants reach their home village, the responsibility felt by the Mahout is not diminished, and they must still find a way to feed and look after the elephant – or elephants – in their care. These caretakers often rely on subsistence farming to feed the elephants and support themselves and their families.

Over the course of the past few months, The Care Project Foundation team has been working to support elephants in Thailand and Mahouts affected by COVID-19. In addition to fundraising efforts, TCPF has donated a total of 25 tonnes of elephant food, such as bananas, pumpkins, watermelons, banana plants, and mangoes, to elephant caretakers throughout Northern Thailand, in areas like Mae Wang and Mae Chaem. This food has helped feed an estimated 300 elephants during a time when many have been struggling to support their elephants financially.

In Thailand, the term ‘elephant tourism’ covers a broad spectrum of activities, and many individuals and organisations within the industry differ in their beliefs, ideas, and practices in regard to elephant welfare. We believe that all elephants deserve good health, and as such, our elephant food donations were available to all elephant camps and owners. The COVID-19 pandemic is ongoing, and we must all assist and support one another to ensure the survival and prosperity of humans and animals alike. The hardship caused by this crisis is felt equally by everyone.

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.

Click: https://www.thecareprojectfoundation.org/blog/