Problems surrounding Thai elephants can be readily solved. It is not necessarily a dead end, but could become a never-ending story. Unity and determination will ensure success.
Wild elephants have to be conserved along with their habitat - the forest. If rehabilitation of domesticated elephants is not possible, work in the tourism and entertainment industry appears to be the only choice. Nevertheless, one should not allow human interest or personal differences to get in the way of conservation efforts.
Any activity or development that threatens elephant welfare or their habitat should not be allowed. Mahouts who bring elephants to the city for money, villagers who exploit the forest resources, gift shops that sell ivory, businessmen who turn forest land into plantations, officials with ideas to commercialize the forest reserves, or politicians who like to propose budgets for more dams must be stopped.
CONCLUSION
What does this mean to us and what can we do about it? I have heard many people stating that we should avoid elephant trekking camps and shows because this encourages the capture and brutal training of elephants. However, in my view the elephants are already there and have a home, providing better conditions than would otherwise be the case. The elephant camps rely on tourism to pay for the elephants’ upkeep and the mahouts and their families depend on them for their livelihood. So should we go? Well, on balance, I would say yes, but do a bit of research first and go to ones that care for their animals and do not exploit them.