Thailand lays out banquet for elephants

FRUIT SPREAD | Elephants enjoy a “buffet” of fruit and vegetables during Thailand’s National Elephant Day celebration in Pattaya on March 13. —REUTERS

CHONBURI, Thailand — Nearly 60 elephants enjoyed a huge fruit banquet at a botanical park on Sunday as Thailand marked its annual Elephant Day.

Elephants are a source of national pride and cultural identity for the Southeast Asian country and are used for labor, transport, and battlefield triumphs by warriors and kings.

The event is commonly observed in various other parts of Thailand, but due to the pandemic and economic woes, some have scaled-down celebrations this year.

At Nong Nooch Tropical Garden in eastern Chonburi province, elephants were treated to 2 tons of fruits and vegetables laid out on an 8-meter-wide table.

With the absence of foreign tourists for a long time, the buffet and some visitors brought some joy to the heavyweights.

“Of course, they get bored because they get used to being with people. That’s why you see our elephants are very friendly to everyone,” said Kampon Tansacha, president of Nong Nooch Tropical Garden.

“People enjoy seeing elephants, giving them food, especially bananas that they like and they look all healthy and happy,” he added.

Animal rights groups have long called for elephant camps in Thailand to end animal shows and rides, branding these as a form of animal abuse.

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