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CNN World Report

Thailand Makes Efforts to Include Elephants in Civilized Areas

Aired May 06, 2001 - 14:25   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ASIEH NAMDAR, CNN ANCHOR: In Thailand, where elephants are often seen roaming the streets, efforts are underway not to just control them but find suitable sanctuaries for them.

SHIHAB RATTANSI, CNN ANCHOR: But such places are not always available. So conservationists are trying to find some alternative homes for the giant pachyderms. Thai TV channel five tells us more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

YONGYUTH MAIYATARP, THAI TV CHANNEL 5 REPORTER (voice-over): The issue of elephants wandering in big cities continues to be social problem in Thailand for a number of years, as it has not been possible to take elephants in (UNINTELLIGIBLE) back to their original style of living. This is due to changes in social conditions and environment.

At present, a project called "The Elephant Home Tours" has been established with conservation objectives in mind. The project, organized by Thai Airways International and government authorities, began in 1996. With the setting up of the setting up of the elephant village, (UNINTELLIGIBLE) Village, had to (UNINTELLIGIBLE) , an original elephant rearing area, which experiences the biggest problem at the present time.

Over the last five years volunteers have helped to create forest gardens around the village to be used as food sources for elephants. However such measure has not been successful, because the area is very dry and trees could not grow in keeping with elephants behavior of consumption, which could not be controlled.

BHISIT KUSLASAYANON, THAI AIRWAYS: The next step we've been taking now is (UNINTELLIGIBLE). We have good beaches, in Phuket, in Patayah (ph), but we still have other things to offer, and culture is one of them, and this, I like to use that as a parent project to promote the cultural tour into Thailand and this village has a lot of things to offer.

MAIYATARP: Nowadays, the aspect of tourism has been brought in to promote the elephant village, together with the setting up of a support system in the form of the Center For Conservation, and life study of Thai elephants.

(on camera): Argument is still going on among Thais over the appropriateness of bringing elephants into towns, as they all intend to find a suitable balance for the conservation that will enable elephants to sustainingly live as a part of the Thai society.

Yongyuth Maiyatarp, Thai TV, channel 5, reporting from (UNINTELLIGIBLE) village, Surin (ph) Province, Thailand, for the CNN WORLD REPORT.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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