National Elephant Day, Thailand

The national symbol of Thailand is the elephant, specifically the “white elephant.”  The elephant was declared Thailand’s national animal on March 13, 1963.  Later, in 1998, when the country decided that elephant protection required greater attention, it designated the same date—March 13—as National Elephant Day.

Asian Elephant (photo by Rakeshkdogra)

Thailand’s elephants are members of the Asian elephant species (Elephas maximus), the smaller of the earth’s two elephant species.  Asian elephants can be domesticated and have been used by humans for thousands of years to perform work.  The major role in Thailand has been in logging, where elephants were used to pull downed logs from the forest to places where they were further processed.

Beyond their use as work animals, elephants play an important cultural role in Thailand.  As Buddhists, Thai citizens consider many animals sacred, including the elephant.  The Buddhist god Ganesh, the symbol of wisdom, success and good luck, has a human body with an elephant head.  White elephants, which are not albino but simply a lighter shade than the typical elephant, have been kept by Thai kings for centuries to symbolize their authority to reign.  The white elephants was placed on the Thai flag in the early 1800s and remained there for a century.

For a century, from 1817 to 1917, tdhe Thai flag included a white elephant (photo by Tango and Sodacan)

Elephants were once abundant in the lush Thai forests, estimated to have numbered about 100,000 in 1900.  Today fewer than 2,000 remain in the wild, affected mostly by the loss of habitat, along with overhunting for ivory.  The species is classified as endangered by IUCN and is now protected throughout Thailand.   Most wild elephants live in national parks or other preserves of natural forest.

About 3,000 elephants are held privately.  Since logging of natural forests was outlawed in Thailand, however, the primary use of elephants in the forest industry has disappeared, leaving tourism as the predominant way in which elephants are used.  Conditions for elephants in the tourist trade vary widely, from cruel and abusive handlers (especially in large cities) to centers that focus on ethical and humane interactions between people and elephants.  Because of the long association between people and elephants, tourism is a major industry both for Thai citizens and for foreign visitors.

Asian elephants being bathed at the Thai Elephant Conservation Center (photo by Adam Jones)

The principal elephant conservation program is operated through the Thai Elephant Conservation Center, a government-owned facility created in 1993 by the king.  The center has about 50 elephants and offers opportunities for people to interact with and learn about elephants.

National Elephant Day was first celebrated in 1999.  According to the organization Thailand Elephants, “[t]he day was made to celebrate and show how significant elephants are to Thailand, how the Thai culture depends on elephants and also to promote awareness about protecting and conserving the Thai elephants and their natural habitat.”

References:

Chiangrai Times.  2014.  National Elephant Day Celebrated in Thailand.  March 13, 2014.  Available at:  http://www.chiangraitimes.com/national-elephant-day-celebrated-in-thailand.html.  Accessed march 12, 2018.

Elephant Conservation Center.  The Elephant Conservation Center.  Available at:  http://www.thailandelephant.org/en/index.html.  Accessed March 12, 2018.

Elephant Nature Park.  Facts about Elephants.  Available at:  https://www.elephantnaturepark.org/about/facts-about-elephants/.  Accessed March 12, 2018.

McCrea, Kerri. 2017.  The National Elephant Day 2017!  Available at:  https://www.thailandelephants.org/single-post/2017/03/13/Thai-National-Elephant-DayChang-Thai- -2017.  Accessed March 12, 2018.

Siwalai.  Elephants in Thailand: Past and Present.  Thaiways Magazine.  Available at:  https://www.thaiwaysmagazine.com/thai_article/2711_elephant_royal/elephant_royal.html.  Accessed March 12, 2018.

This Month in Conservation

October 1
Yosemite National Park Created (1890)
October 2
San Diego Zoo Founded (1916)
October 3
James Herriot, English Veterinarian, Born (1916)
October 4
Feast Day of St. Francis of Assisi, Patron Saint of Ecology
October 5
Catherine Cooper Hopley, British Herpetologist, Born (1817)
October 6
Mad Hatter’s Day
October 7
Henry A. Wallace, Secretary of Agriculture, Born (1888)
October 8
World Octopus Day
October 9
Vajont Dam Disaster (1963)
October 10
Dnieper Dam Began Operation (1932)
October 11
Big Cypress and Big Thicket National Preserves Created (1974)
October 12
William Laurance, Tropical Conservationist, Born (1957)
October 13
International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction
October 14
Timpanogos Cave National Monument Created (1922)
October 14
Dr. Mamie Parker, Pioneering African American Fisheries Scientist and Leader, Born (1957)
October 15
Isabella Bird, Pioneering Eco-traveler, Born (1831)
October 16
World Food Day
October 17
Oliver Rackham born (1939)
October 18
Clean Water Act established (1972)
October 19
Research Vessel Albatross Launched (1882)
October 20
OPEC Oil Embargo (1973)
October 21
“Ding” Darling born (1876)
October 22
Wombat Day
October 23
Cumberland Island National Seashore established (1972)
October 24
Antoni von Leeuwenhoek born (1632)
October 25
Secretary of the Interior Convicted in Teapot Dome Scandal (1929)
October 26
Erie Canal Opens (1825)
October 27
Golden Gate and Gateway National Recreation Areas Created (1972)
October 28
Henry Mosby, Wild Turkey Biologist, Born (1913)
October 28
First Ticker-tape Parade Held (1886)
October 29
Stanley Park, Vancouver, Dedicated (1889)
October 30
UNESCO Designates 9 Natural World Heritage Sites (1981)
October 31
Lincoln Highway Dedicated (1913)
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