Mobile Elephant Clinic Project

100 years ago there were at least 100,000 elephants in Thailand, now sadly that number has dropped to about 5,000 (2,000 in the wild and 3,000 in captivity) and the population is still estimated to be falling at over 3% a year.

Something must be done to stop this decline or there will be very few elephants left in the future.

What problems are elephants facing here in Thailand?
Loss of natural habitat. 50 years ago 60% of Thailand was covered by forest, that figure is now below 20% and is still falling due to illegal logging and encroachment. Wild elephants only survive in a few national parks with limited genetic interchange. Conflicts with people often result in more elephant deaths.
For elephants in captivity there are very few traditional ways of earning a living, logging was banned in 1989, there is little use for elephant power in the modern world. Elephants with their mahouts (keepers) have taken to begging in the streets of major cities.

Tourism may help but exploitation often results.
Elephants are slow and difficult to breed, only about 4 offspring in a life time, male elephants can be aggressive and dangerous at certain times (when in musth), few offspring are born, the young may be mistreated and die.
Elephants often die needlessly due to accidents, injuries, illnesses, conflicts with man when they are shot dead instead of tranquillised. People experienced in looking after elephants are getting fewer every years. Well over 100 elephants will die this year in Thailand. Few people are aware how serious the situation is.