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The Portal » Natural Wonders » Thailand's Elephants

If you’ve ever seen an Elephant up close then you will know that to look into their eye is to see a different world. The intelligence you feel when holding their stare is immense and in Thailand the locals say that the Elephant knows the secrets to the universe, to happiness and to enlightenment. They just lack the ability to speak!

An ancient symbol of religion and culture throughout Asia the Asian Elephant is revered by the Thai’s and their neighbors. It is the symbol of Ganesh the god of Arts and Sciences and the remover of obstacles in India and the Asian Elephant was even once on the ancient flag of Siam - Thailand’s former name.

The Elephant was once used to determine the location of Buddhist temples and according to Buddhist history one Elephant with 6 tusks was the last incarnation of the Buddha before he became a man. They have never been hunted for meat and are revered as on the same level as humans in their status within the Buddhist world.

There are 2 species of Elephant in the world and the Asian Elephant differs from their larger African cousins in a number of ways, due to this they cannot interbreed. The populations are both geographically and genetically separate although they do stem from the same common ancestor.

The total population of the Asian Elephant is estimated at between 40 – 55, 000 individuals. This is spread between 12 countries stretching from India to Borneo and is only a fraction of the total population of African Elephants in the world. Over the past 20 years stories of poaching African Elephants on the plains and savannas of Africa generated headlines around the world. This news and the ban on the ivory trade highlighted the African Elephant to be in danger of extinction. So, how about the Asian Elephant? Well the Asian Elephant was unfortunately overshadowed by its African cousin even though the populations throughout Asia when combined only make up around 10% of the African Elephant’s population. The Asian Elephant is truly an endangered species and its population is still falling yearly. Within Thailand, current estimates put the Asian Elephants population at around 3 – 3, 500 individuals. This number is down from 100,000 in the 1900’s, a shocking decline of almost 97,000 elephants in a little over 100 years! Problems include habitat loss and human elephant conflicts (mainly over crops) due to this. Of this estimated 3,000 or so individuals the vast majority is now in captivity.

Elephants were once used to haul timber cut straight from the forests for their human handlers. These animals were often wild caught and were used due to their dexterity, strength and swift work. They were in effect used to destroy their own homes, the forests of Thailand and Asia. Within Thailand this became illegal with the advent of the logging ban during the 1980’s. This was great news for the remaining wild Elephants but not so great for those already domesticated or born in captivity. Following this ban many malnourished Elephants were seen on the streets of Bangkok and other major towns selling bananas to tourists to make a profit. It seemed that the well intentioned logging ban had in fact had a detrimental side effect on the Thai Elephant population as they were no longer of use to their owners. Many died and were in poor health until government regulation of this begging and certain tourism practices stepped in.

Tourism is now the mainstay of the Asian Elephant economy within Thailand and whether you agree or disagree with it, it seems to be one of the only ways Elephants will be brought in to the next century in Thailand. Elephants can eat up to 200 kgs of food per day and drink as much as 200 liters of water. This is a lot and is expensive to organize, so in order to keep your elephant well fed and cared for it has to be making some kind of profit. Now thailandecoprtal.com would love for all of the Elephants to be running free through the forests but unfortunately deforestation has reduced the available natural habitat of the Asian Elephant within Thailand to a fraction of what it once was. This remaining habitat already has populations of Elephants inhabiting it and can no longer hold larger populations of Asian Elephant. Therefore tourism is playing a major role in the elephant’s future survival.  If run well and the animals cared for properly there really is no reason why this form of tourism cannot help to bring the species into the future with us. We do however strongly recommend that you check out the credentials of the company you will use to see these domestic Elephants. Elephants are after all an endangered species, so please only visit government certified or regulated camps, check out internet blogs to find out if they are living up to their reputation and if at all possible visit an Elephant camp that undertakes another method of working with the elephants than trekking. There are various locations throughout the country where you can purely visit the elephants or undertake mahout courses. You can also visit the Thai Elephant Conservation Center or the National Elephant Institute in Lampang province.

If you want to see Elephants in the wild then there are National Parks within Thailand where wild elephants roam free. Covering over 2,900 sq/km Thailand’s largest National Park Kaeng Krachan National Park in Petchaburi province holds many wild Elephants, although the terrain is tough going and the best chances of seeing wild elephants are in Khao Yai national park, Thailand’s first. Other national parks holding Asian Elephant populations are Khao Sok National Park in Surat Thani Province and Erawan National Park in Kanchanaburi Province.  

If you do go out with the intention of seeing wild Elephant then do NOT head out on your own. Elephants are very large and can weigh in at over 5000 kgs for an adult bull and can run at up to 40 km/hr in short bursts. If you happen to stumble across a family of Elephant and they are spooked or they have youngsters with them then they can charge. We advise organizing your trip with a reputable tour operator or hiring one of the local guides at the national parks. Please be aware however that you may never actually find Elephants, they can be elusive so don’t be disheartened if you cannot find them. Just remember that this is part of the fun of trying to find wild animals and it reminds us that Thailand’s National Parks still hold many secrets. On our last trek we found Elephant Tracks and dung but this was maybe 5 days old and there was no sight of these majestic animals. We did however have a great time hearing wild boar and marveling at the vast number of plant species.

Get out there and into nature!!

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