Thailand: Don’t Feed the Elephants, or Else; Emergency Lifted in the North

By Larry Habegger | Permalink | No Comments | July 21st, 2010 | Trackback

Authorities warned tourists in Bangkok not to buy food for street elephants or they’d face a 10,000 baht ($310) fine. The move is the latest attempt to control begging by elephant owners who bring their animals in from the countryside to eke out a living in the city. The mahouts (handlers) face the same $310 fine and six months in jail if caught selling bananas and sugar cane to tourists to feed to the elephants. The law is designed to protect the elephants, whose life expectancy is allegedly cut in half by living in the congested city. In other news, the government lifted the state of emergency in the three northern provinces of Lampang, Roi Et and Sakon Nakhon. The law remains in effect in Bangkok and 15 other provinces.

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