Fun Event on 13th

[2wheels]

"Jumbos to be feted at National Thai Elephant Day celebrations



National Elephant Day will be celebrated on March 13 with a grand feast and blessing ceremony for the elephants.

Nopniwat Krailerg
National Thai Elephant Day is celebrated on March 13 every year since 1998 when it was first celebrated.
The Maesa Elephant Camp in Mae Rim will hold celebrations on Thursday, March 13, 2014 from noon to 3 p.m. where Governor Wichien Phuttiwinyoo will preside over the event.

The day will be open to visitors without charge and will feature the highlight of the day, the Elephant Sa Tok; a blessing ceremony for the elephants and the elephant feast.
There will also be art & craft demonstrations, traditional fiddle performances by famed National artist Buasorn Thanomboon and dancers performing "Elephant Dances".

Veterinarian Ronnachit Rungsee of the Maesa Elephant Camp said that Maesa Elephant Camp currently has 73 elephants which in the past worked as logging elephants.
The camp has worked to maintain Thai elephants by breeding elephants and have had 25 baby elephants born in the camp.

Currently Thailand has 2,500- 3,000 elephants in captivity and only 2,000 wild elephants. Their birth rates are lower than their death rates so it is important to care for elderly elephants and breed elephants to produce healthy babies.

Maesa Elephant Camp cooperates with Faculty of Veterinary Medicine of CMU to use frozen semen from elephants for breeding for the first time in the world.
National Thai Elephant Day focuses on educating, cultivating awareness to tourists generally, and preserve the traditions and science that related elephants."

(Chiang Mai Mail)

 

[Ally]

[video=youtube_share;SVckvi_gWVo]http://youtu.be/SVckvi_gWVo[/video]

Please watch this before you consider supporting such events.

Ally

 

[Ally]

And if the images are not enough, here are some words.

http://phajaan.webs.com/

Ally

 

[2wheels]

the highlight of the day, the Elephant Sa Tok; a blessing ceremony for the elephants and the elephant feast.

Although your point, in general, is significant Ally I don't see how blessing and feeding an elephant is harming it.
To each his own.
The event should be a real hoot.

 

[Changnoi1]

2wheels .... because almost ALL elephants at elephants camps are crushed like seen in the video.

 

[2wheels]

Changnoi1,

The other Chiang Mai bike site that you participate in has a report dated 28th March 2012 describing and illustrating an event called "M'nong Elephant Races".
Within the report is a graphic account of the elephant races.
That thread is still active, with a comment dated 12th March 2014 saying …" elephant races, buffalo sacrifices … are taking place as I write."

Some comments from the beginning of the thread include:

The elephants race at speeds of 'up to 50kph' for 500 metres.

Each elephant carries 2 riders; one to beat it with iron bar and the 2nd rider "hits the elephant with an iron gavel".

Some of the comments this report solicited include;

"How good is that!!!"

"Sensational report"

"Wow, truly spectacular"

"Now here's an event that deserves being promoted"

Significantly, I don't see any comment there from you!
So it seems that, whilst you approve of cruelty to these beasts, you object to an event that blesses them and feeds them!
Very strange.
Until you voice your objections on the other site your comment here, to me, has absolutely no credibility.

Maybe it's time a couple of people climbed down from their high horses and allowed the Ride Asia community to make decisions as to whether or not they
attend the one elephant event I have brought to people's attention here.

 

[bsacbob]

Any event that helps to increase public awareness of these magnificent animals and in so doing help fund the various elephant sanctuaries around the kingdom is surely a good thing. Sadly cruelty exists everywhere not just with elephants but that does not mean boycotting such events is going to stop this cruelty, it looks like this is a great event and as stated in the OP it helps preserve traditions and supports a breeding programme

 

[skeedary]

We are going up to Mae Rim today to look at the spectacle.

Any event that helps to increase public awareness of these magnificent animals and in so doing help fund the various elephant sanctuaries around the kingdom is surely a good thing. Sadly cruelty exists everywhere not just with elephants but that does not mean boycotting such events is going to stop this cruelty, it looks like this is a great event and as stated in the OP it helps preserve traditions and supports a breeding programme

 

[brake034]

Until you voice your objections on the other site your comment here, to me, has absolutely no credibility.

So unless one objects against a certain topic at GTR, his opinion is not credible if he objects to a similar topic at RA???
Who has to climb down from his high horse here??

 

[2wheels]

I repeat.
No credibility.

Meanwhile …



Some of the elephants had a great day!

http://www.bangkokpost.com/breakingnews/399728/feasts-to-mark-thai-elephant-day

 

[2wheels]

How do you know an elephant has raided your refrigerator?

Footprints in the butter.

 

[johnnysneds]

That was weird, I thought I had mistakenly clicked on that non-infomative website Thaivisa for a second!!!