Project Title: Combating the Illegal Trade in Live Elephants in SE Asia

Rattle the Cage Productions
Tim Gorski - Rattle the Cage Productions Director

Goal: To combat the illegal trade of Asian Elephants in Thailand

Introduction:
The Asian Elephants, Elephas maximus is the largest of the terrestrial mammals in Southeast Asia and is facing extinction. It is hunted relentlessly for its ivory and captured live for use in logging and agriculture, and, increasingly, for use in the tourism industry, by elephant trekking companies.

Although this species is totally protected from international commercial trade, as it is listed on Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna (CITES), elephants continue to be captured in Myanmar and smuggled across the border into Thailand. Some of Myanmar’s domestic elephants, used in the logging industry, are also smuggled into Thailand for the ever growing trekking industry.

Some of the elephants in the trekking industry may also be former logging elephants from Thai companies as well, as logging has been banned in Thailand, leaving many elephants ‘unemployed’. However, from preliminary observations made in late 2007 and early 2008, most of the elephants being purchased by the trekking companies appear to be young, often still calves, indicating that these are not of the former logging animals.

Insufficient information and data about the trade in live elephants in both Myanmar and Thailand is a problem when trying to realize the extent of the trade and the impact it has on the wild populations. Intensive investigations of trade routes, trade dynamics and specific dealers are urgently required for future action to reduce the pressure of illegal trade on the survival of the species in the wild.

Furthermore, awareness, especially among enforcement agencies charged with protecting wild elephants in Myanmar and Thailand, as well as within the general public/tourists visiting the trekking companies is severely lacking.

Objectives:
1. To document the extent of the trade of live elephants in Thailand and Myanmar;
2. To raise awareness, concern and knowledge of the trade and conservation status of Thailand and Myanmar’s elephants amongst relevant regulatory agencies;
3. To raise awareness and concern amongst the public, especially tourists visiting these countries, and conservation bodies in Thailand;
4. To assist enforcement agencies in combating the illegal trade of live elephants in Thailand and Myanmar, working with the ASEAN Wildlife Enforcement Network;
5. To work with the trekking companies to raise the level of corporate responsibility and ensure they acquire elephants from legal sources and adhere to legislation in Thailand and that they play a role in elephant conservation.

Activities:
1. Complete field surveys and gather information from individuals involved in the capture and trade of live elephants, mahouts, trekking companies, government enforcement agencies and other relevant bodies in Myanmar and Thailand;
2. Compile an inventory of trekking companies and the numbers of elephants held in each in Thailand;
3. Compile information on illegal dealers and provide this to enforcement authorities to catalyse seizures and disruptions in the illegal trade chain;
4. Publish relevant findings in order to increase knowledge and understanding of the conservation status and illegal trade dynamics and to provide solid justification for increased law enforcement efforts, focusing on hunters and traders dealing in live elephants;
5. Produce a documentary of the trade in live elephants and the conservation needs of Asia’s elephants in general;
6. Develop and implement a campaign (with relevant partners as appropriate) to raise public awareness in English and Thai to increase concern and awareness of elephant conservation;

Project Outputs:
A thorough documentation of the trade in live elephants in Thailand and Myanmar will be produced from this project. This documentation will serve as a tool for the enforcement agencies as it will outline the dynamics of the trade, necessary in eliminating it. This document will also further the knowledge of the situation for conservation organisations. It is hoped that this will also increase concern among the relevant government bodies as well as among international bodies, thus increasing action to save Asian Elephants.

A confidential intelligence report containing all sensitive information of the trade encountered during this study will provided to the relevant enforcement agencies for action.

A campaign, including a documentary, will be developed and carried out in order to raise the profile of this serious conservation issue, and to build national and international awareness, concern and participation with regards to the conservation of Asian Elephants.

Timeframe

Thailand – 4 months
Myanmar – 4 months
Post Production – 3 months

Budget

Investigations $48,000
Documentary Production $435,000
Education Materials and Distribution $ 60,000