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  1. #1
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    Thailand Protest Over Bid To Protect Elephants

    Thailand Protest Over Bid To Protect Elephants
    Friday 25 October 2013

    Mahouts in Thailand have been protesting against plans to nationalise the nation's elephants, which supporters say will cut poaching and the illegal trade in wild animals.

    Hundreds of handlers of the Asian elephants gathered on Thursday in an area set aside for training them in the ancient capital Ayutthaya.



    The elephant, which is Thailand's national symbol, has traditionally been used for logging in the country, but is now used mostly in tourism.

    The government is keen to approve the draft Wild Animals Preservation and Protection Bill, which will transfer the ownership of domesticated elephants to a state-run agency.

    It is hoped that by keeping tabs on the exact number of elephants that are used for work, it will make it harder for people to sell them to illegal traders or to mistreat them.



    The mahouts claim the bill will not protect animals in the way it intends, but will punish those who work with them instead.

    One of the protesters, Netiwin Amornshing, 36, from Surin, said the bill was unfair.

    "The bill will not resolve the problems," he told Thailand's The Nation.

    "The government should increase penalties instead of passing a new law to control everything."



    Supporters say the bill is necessary to prevent Thailand's wildlife - which includes about 200 tigers - being slaughtered for profit.

    There were 100,000 elephants in Thailand a century ago but the number in the wild has now dropped to an estimated 2,000.

    Poaching and illegal trading is increasing in Africa and Asia due to the growing market for ivory and wild animal products in China.

    news.sky.com

  2. #2
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    The government should just have laws preventing the mahouts from the urban areas and on city roads. The crime is how the mahouts treat the animals keeping them up all night begging on polluted city streets. If people want to raise the animals let them do it in the farmlands. Work out programs to support the animals and their trainers such as having the trainers visit schools to educate about the animals. Also let people make merit by feeding the elephants at the schools and temples. Tourist related elephant activities should be done in rural areas where the animals are on soil not hard pavement. JMHO.

  3. #3
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    If it winds up under government control, it will only be a short time before high-level Thai officials go on elephant hunts in order to protect the elephants from overcrowding (and of course, they will be able to keep the ivory.)

    RickThai

  4. #4
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    Don't give them ideas.

  5. #5
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    The solution might be to say make all the mahouts/owners of the elephants government employees with a salary and pension etc. Then make the elephants government employees with an allowance for food and housing.

    Then the mahouts do not need to tout for money from tourists etc. If they wish they can move to a national park and take their elephants with them.
    Better to think inside the pub, than outside the box?
    I apologize if any offence was caused. unless it was intended.
    You people, you think I know feck nothing; I tell you: I know feck all
    Those who cannot change their mind, cannot change anything.

  6. #6
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    Sounds like a really good idea, VN.

  7. #7
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    Mahouts are a bunch o cnuts and should be put down,

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