How does Thailand react to the boycott of elephant tourism?

In view of the recent reports that elephants in Thailand's tourism industry have been abused, their living conditions are miserable, and even called for a boycott of "elephant tourism", people in the Thai industry have voiced their opinions one after another that "elephant tourism" is an important part of Thailand's tourism industry, and a simple boycott cannot improve the living environment of elephants. Strengthening the supervision and legislation of target camps is an effective solution.

Matana, an elephant expert who once worked in Thailand's National Parks and Wildlife Conservation Bureau, said that there are about 4,000 domestic elephants and about 3,500 wild elephants in Thailand. With the sharp reduction of forest area in Thailand, the number of wild elephants has reached saturation, and it is impossible to put domestic elephants back into the wild, even if they are put back into the wild, they have no viability. Domesticating elephants costs a lot in manpower, land and management. Without the support of tourism, it will be more difficult for elephants to survive.

Joshua Pronik, a scholar specializing in Asian elephants at Mahidol University in Thailand, said that an elephant eats 250 kilograms of food every day and spends about $65,438+0,000 pounds on food and shelter every month. Without the support of tourism, elephants will have nowhere to go and no one will pay for their food.

There are about 200 elephants in the elephant palace in Ayutthaya, Thailand. Rong Tongsai, the head of the Elephant Show in Elephant Palace, said that each elephant has different natural endowments, and the elephant camp will choose them for talent show training such as painting and dancing according to their interests. The talent show can only be completed under the tacit communication between elephant man and elephant, which is the embodiment of harmony between man and elephant.

Lott, a famous veterinarian in Thailand, said that a balanced diet, proper concealment, better rest environment and perfect medical care are all necessary conditions for the healthy growth of elephants. Elephant camps are mostly domestic elephants. Unlike wild elephants, they need the care of their elephants, food supply and an environment to get along with others.

Matana, an elephant expert, believes that the effective solution is to strengthen the supervision of target camps, improve the treatment and elephant training skills of elephant drivers, impose heavy penalties on animal cruelty, and establish a safety and health certification system for elephant camps.

Don't endanger life.