The 2021 World Elephant Day was officially held on August 12th at 18:00 Beijing time. Over 20 renowned experts from both domestic and international communities participated in the event. Through various dialogues and joint appeals, the aim was to promote global elephant conservation efforts. A total of 119,862 people attended the conference online.
The theme of the 2021 World Elephant Day conference was “From Resource Conflicts to Precious Allies: A New Understanding of the Importance of Elephants.” The conference was part of a series of meetings for the 16th International Genomics Conference (ICG-16: Beijing), and it was also included in the “2021 International Biodiversity Conservation Summit and the 5th Annual Conference on Protected Areas,” which is listed in the China Association for Science and Technology’s “Important Academic Conferences Guide (2021).”
The event was co-hosted by the China Biodiversity Conservation and Green Development Foundation, the World Ape Alliance, the African Elephant Protection Initiative, and the Beijing BGI Research Institute.
Issues Facing Elephants in Thailand
Currently, elephants in Thailand are primarily divided into two categories: wild elephants and rescue elephants. Rescue elephants are heavily dependent on Thailand’s tourism industry.
In the past, many elephants were well cared for, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Thailand’s tourism industry has come to a halt, and many elephants have been impacted. Our rescue center is currently in an emergency situation, facing two main issues: a shortage of elephant food and a lack of resources to care for the elephants.
Normally, each elephant caretaker can only look after one elephant, as elephants are very sensitive to human interaction and easily recognize individuals. The common issue facing both wild and rescue elephants is the food chain. Wild elephants can find food in the forest, but their food supply can also be affected by the seasons. Due to the uncertainty caused by the pandemic, food for rescue elephants has become severely scarce, and we cannot predict how things will unfold in the future. Nevertheless, we will do our best to navigate through this difficult time.
I believe that not only I, but all those who care deeply for elephants, will work together to overcome these challenges in this tough period.
In addition, some charitable foundations and private organizations are providing us with support, and we would like to take this opportunity to express our gratitude to all those who have helped us, including the China Green Development Foundation. We are extremely grateful for all the help we have received, whether from abroad or within Thailand. This support has been crucial for our camp and for elephant rescue efforts across Thailand. However, we still need more assistance. Elephants require food every day, and caretakers must work daily. Regardless of whether we have income or not, we must continue our work and maintain a daily cycle of care for the elephants.
The latest updates on our situation will be reported through “Green Media.” Green Media is an environmental change agent and a primary information source, dedicated to sharing the latest developments and cutting-edge trends in global biodiversity governance, for reference by relevant domestic departments, experts, scholars, social organizations, and stakeholders.
