A pillar of Lao culture
The elephant is an integral part of the country's culture and history. It is considered the official animal of the nation. In Buddhism, the elephant is considered sacred. The animal, symbol of strength, patience, wisdom, but also of prosperity, is also often mentioned in Buddha's speeches, notably in one of his most famous parables, The Blind and the Elephant. Statues of elephants sometimes guard the pagodas, such as the two white elephants posted at the entrance to the Vat Mixay in Vientiane. The animal is also often represented within the temples or at the base of the that (or stupas ), notably at the splendid Vat Xieng Thong in Luang Prabang.
An endangered species
The species present in Laos is the Indian elephant (Elephas maximus indicus), one of the 3 categories of Asian elephant, smaller than its African cousin. In the wild it lives in small herds led by a female, roaming the forests to satisfy its herbivorous diet. Note that only the males have tusks. Its life expectancy is about 60 years in the wild, and 40 years in captivity. Nowadays, there are about 700 individuals left on the territory, three quarters of which live in captivity. It should be noted that the country has established in 1993 national areas of biodiversity conservation. All these zones represent 12.5% of the territory, or a total area of 3.3 million hectares. Without being national parks as such, these areas allow tourism to contribute to the preservation of cultural heritage; to protect the rights of minorities and to develop their skills in a concern for eco-tourism. Although they are not specifically dedicated to elephants, these areas allow for the protection of their natural habitat and thus play a significant role in the conservation of the species.
Causes of population decline
Both wild and domestic elephant populations are declining and the species is threatened, but the two populations face different problems. Deforestation is the main cause of the decline in wild elephant numbers. Laos has practiced intensive deforestation, particularly to meet the demand for timber from China and Vietnam. The country now has only about 40% of its forest cover, compared to 70% in the 1950s. The loss of these forests leads to habitat fragmentation and elephants are unable to follow normal migration patterns. The disappearance of its natural habitat leads the animal to move closer to villages and plantations, leading to conflicts with the population.
Ninety percent of the captive elephants are used as labour for woodworking, despite the strict restrictions put in place by the government. The animal and its mahout take care of skidding, an activity that consists of transporting the felled trees to the place of deposit or storage. The mahout is the elephant's master and guide throughout its life. This job is passed on from generation to generation. Females are mainly used for this work, as males tend to be more aggressive and unpredictable. In addition, owners do not encourage reproduction, as the pregnancy of a female induces that she will not be able to work during the 3 years of gestation and lactation. Therefore, there are very few births in domesticated individuals.
Poaching is another threat to both wild and domesticated animals. Parts of the elephant's body, such as skin, organs, or nails, are sought after in China or Myanmar to make traditional medicine remedies, aphrodisiacs... A financial manna that tempts many poachersConservation programs for the species
In Laos there are several places for the protection of Asian elephants. TheElephant Conservation Center in Sayaboury is one of the references in this field. It houses about 30 individuals and, thanks to its breeding program, the center has been able to give birth to several baby elephants. Their program includes the reintroduction of elephants into their natural environment. The center also has a hospital that treats sick or injured elephants free of charge, provided they are brought in by their mahout. The NGO ElefantAsia(www.elefantasia.org) is associated with the center. Two Frenchmen are at the origin of this organization which offers several programs. Among others, a mobile veterinary clinic to provide care to elephants in their living environment, mediation to manage human/elephant conflicts, awareness campaigns for the population... The training of mahouts is crucial to improve the living conditions of elephants. Programs are organized to improve the relationship between the animal and its mahout, and to allow the older mahouts to share their experience with the younger ones. It is thanks to ElefantAsia that the Sayaboury Elephant Festival was created in 2006. Every year in February, this festival honors the country's iconic elephant in order to raise awareness among the national population and the international community about the preservation of the species. Among the activities of this small event: the traditional parades of elephants, typical dances, baci in honor of the pachyderms. The festival ends with the election of the most beautiful elephant. Other camps exist in the country, such as the Elephant Village Sanctuary & Resort, MandaLao, Mekong Elephant Camp... All of them respect new criteria based on responsible tourism. They no longer offer elephant rides but rather side walks and mahouts are now forbidden to use spikes to guide the animal. You will also see travel agencies communicate on this subject: "No ride, no hook". They offer various activities for tourists: taking care of the elephants, feeding them, washing them... Paradoxically, it is precisely with the funding from tourism that these centers can operate and thus work for the conservation of this threatened species.
