Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Thai Government’s Push to End Elephant Street Begging

For many years the Thai government has been trying to put a stop to the illegal practice of Elephant Street Begging in Bangkok. Now it seems the elephants have new hope. There is a successful government effort underway to clear the street begging elephants out of Bangkok!

A very important point must be raised here: people depend on the Thai elephants for their livelihoods. These mahouts have families to feed, as well as elephants to care for. So any long term solution must provide for the elephants’ needs and also all the people involved. This is exactly how GVI Volunteers can make a profound difference, helping to end elephant street begging.

In future posts on this blog you can read more on how GVI volunteers are helping the mahouts to build new lives, returning to their villages, reintroducing the elephants into natural habitat, and leaving street begging behind. Volunteers are helping to care for these rescued elephants and also helping the mahouts to start new lives, so they won’t have to return to begging in the cities.


For more on Elephant Street Begging from CNN,
click here.




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