{"content":"Forcenturiesuff0cinthecountriesofsouthandSoutheastAsiauff0ctheelephanthasbeenanimportantpartofthecultureuff0ceconomyandreligionuff0eAndnowheremoresothaninThailanduff0eUnlikeitsAfricancousinuff0ctheAsian
{"content":"
Forcenturiesuff0cinthecountriesofsouthandSoutheastAsiauff0ctheelephanthasbeenanimportantpartofthecultureuff0ceconomyandreligionuff0eAndnowheremoresothaninThailanduff0eUnlikeitsAfricancousinuff0ctheAsianelephantiseasilydomesticateduff08u9a6fu5316uff09uff0eTherareso-calledwhiteelephantshaveactuallylentthepowerofroyaltytoitsrulersuff0canduntilthe1920sthenationalflagwasawhiteelephantonaredbackgrounduff0eTotheearlyWesternvisitorsuff0cthe country'sromanticnamewas"LandoftheWhiteElephant"uff0e
Todayuff0choweveruff0cthestoryisverydifferentuff0eOutofworkandoutoflanduff0ctheThaielephant strugglesforsurvivalinanationthatnolongerneedsituff0eTheelephanthasfounditselfmoreorlessdesertedbypreviousownerswhohavemovedontoadifferenteconomicworldandasocietyin thewesternpartuff0eAndwhiletheelephant'sproblemsbeganmanyyearsagouff0cnowithasaverylow nationaladvantageuff0e
Howdoesthenationalsymbolturnintoignoredanimalsuff1fItisastoryofworseenvironmentandthechanginglivesoftheThaisthemselvesuff0eAccordingtoRichardLairuff0cThailand'sexperton theAsianelephantandauthorofthereportGoneAstrayuff0cattheturnofthe lastcenturyuff0ctheremaywellhavebeenasmanyas100uff0c000nationalelephantsinthecountryuff0e
InthenorthofThailandaloneuff0citwasestimateduff08u4f30u8ba1uff09thatmorethan20uff0c000elephantswereemployedintransportuff0c1uff0c000ofthemaloneontheroadbetweenthecitiesofChiangMaiandChiangSaenuff0e
Thiswasatatimewhen90percentofThailandwasstillforest--ahabitatthatnotonlysupportedtheanimalsbutalsomadethemnecessarytocarrygoodsandpeopleuff0eNothingploughsthroughthickforestbetterthanlotsofsure-footedelephantsuff0e
By1950theelephantpopulationhaddroppeduff0cbutstilltothenumberof13uff0c397uff0eHoweveruff0ctodaythere-areprobablynomorethan3uff0c800uff0cwithanotherluff0c350wanderingfreeinthenationalparksuff0eButnowuff0cThailand'sforestcoversonly20percentofthelanduff0eThisdeforestationuff08u91c7u4f10u68eeu6797uff09isthecentralpointofthe