Thailand Elephant Statistics for 2006

The Department of Livestock Development, Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives reports a census of 1,473 captive elephants for 2006 while the Department of Local Administration, Ministry of Interior reports total registered captive elephants in Thailand at 2,054 for 2006. Whatever the real number, the real situation is that the number of captive elephants is decreasing at a rapid rate and presents a serious problem. The number of wild elephants is not known but should be in the 1,000 range only.
N.B. Please note the great statistics from the Livestock Department: elephants do not increase by 834 in one year ( from year 2547(2004AD) to 2568(2005AD)) and die off by 1291 in one year ( from 2548(2005AD) to 2349(2006AD)). Also please note that 324 elephants did not die off or disappear between 2548(2005AD) and2549(2006AD) except for the eight that the Thaksin Government sent to Australia. The average period between the birth of a single baby elephant by one female is between 8 to 10 years, which is a very long time. Conception to birth is 22 to 24 months or two years. then the mother elephant will wean the baby for at least three years. Then in the third or fourth year after giving birth she will be in esterous again. If she find a will male mate it will be another two years before the birth of the second child. Please do not believe the figures given for rapid expansion in elephant population. It is usually a lie to provide for a plausible elephant culling program behind which are hidden black motives: such as legalized elephant hunting and ivory harvesting.

สถิติช้างไทยจากกรมปศุสัตว์ กระทรวงเกษตรและสหกรณ์และกรมการปกครอง กระทรวงมหาดไทย ระหว่างปี 2547 - 2549