An elephant eats 8% of its body weight per day. If it weighs 3 tonnes, it eats 240kg of plants daily. Food for an elephant costs around 40,000 baht per month, which means a daily spending of over 1,000 baht, and we are not even talking about fancy food here.
"Caring for elephants is a massive job. It requires a lot of funding," said Dr Nissa Mututanont, veterinarian at the Chiang Rai-based Anantara Golden Triangle Asian Elephant Foundation (GTAEF). The foundation was set up in 2006 and has since been operated under the Anantara Golden Triangle Elephant Camp and Resort.
To raise funds for the foundation's projects to improve the livelihood of not just Thai elephants but those of Myanmar, Cambodia and Africa, Anantara Hotels, Resorts and Spas is hosting the annual King's Cup Elephant Polo Tournament, which kicks off tomorrow. Now in its 15th edition, the tournament has raised over 50 million baht, which goes to various projects that help rescue and provide a better life for the wild and domesticated elephant population, including but not limited to the Thai Elephant Assisted Autistic Therapy Project, positive-reinforcement elephant-training workshops, mahout community development initiatives and wild elephant conservation.
