Shelters fight changes to elephant law

Operators upset as govt tries to halt ivory trade

at a Bangkok hotel where several kraal operators turned up to voice their opposition to the proposed legal change.

Laithongrian Meephan, the owner of the Lae Paniad Elephant Kraal in Ayutthaya, said the bill was drafted without listening to the opinions of kraal operators and mahouts who will be negatively affected by the new regulation.

‘‘The bill is based on the perception the mahouts are wrongdoers. Who is the department to decide who can take care of elephants and who cannot? We know best about domesticated elephants, so we should have the right to take care of them,’’ he said.

Somboon Ruamsri, president of the Thai Elephant Cooperative, said it was not a good idea to have domesticated and wild elephants come under the same law as it would only confuse elephant owners.

He said the current law was good enough to both regulate domestic elephant and protect wild jumbos.

Mr Somboon also doubted if the NPWCD was capable of taking care of elephants seized from private shelters. He cited a recent incident in which a female jumbo seized from a private shelter injured herself and became disabled under the care of wildlife officials.

Surasit Mutusahim, a mahout representative, said if the NPWCD pressed ahead with the change, mahouts and kraal operators will hold a mass rally at Government House early next month.

NPWCD deputy chief Theerapat Prayurasiddhi yesterday tried to calm the protesters, saying their opinions would be taken into consideration.

Tuenchai Noochdumrong, director of the NPWCD’s Wildlife Conservation Office, said about 300 domesticated elephants which do not have identification certificates are likely to be seized if the legal change comes into effect.

She defended the amendment, saying it would improve protection and conservation of elephants and crack down on the ivory trade in the country.