Thread: Nong Nooch - Thai Elephant Day

Thai Elephant Day

Patcharapol Panrak

Thai Elephant Day was celebrated on March 13 at Nong Nooch Tropical Garden by a blessing ceremony for elephants, followed by elephant dancing and a jumbo-sized elephant buffet.
Sattahip district chief Prakit Rojanadilok opened the event, along with Nong Nooch general manager Mrs Kwanwan Khantisuk and veterinarian Wirapol Tiewsuwan.
Officially known as a Hongkwanchang Ceremony, the blessing ceremony featured an impressive lineup of 40 elephants, nine of them male and 31 female.
Crowds of locals and tourists turned up at Nong Nooch to watch the festivities, with the pachyderms putting on their usual magnificent display and charming everyone.
Nong Nooch Tropical Garden is designated an official elephant shelter by the Department of Livestock Development at the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperative, and its elephants are one of the chief attractions for visitors.
Khao Kheow Open Zoo held a special presentation on Thai Elephant Day in which director Suriya Saengpong described the importance of the elephant in Thai history, and why the elephant has become a national symbol of Thailand.
There are eight elephants at Khao Kheow, three male and five female, and the zoo participates in breeding programs along with undertaking research into the elephant and its habitat.

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