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Published on August 18, 2007

National Elephant Research and Health Services member Phat Chuaphlaivej said sperm and embryos of local elephants were genetically good and in demand worldwide for breeding.

She said local veterinarians were capable of handling the operations and sperm and embryos should be conserved for domestic use.

"If they really need to be exported, conditions that sperm and embryos be used for instructional purposes only are vital; otherwise they might be used for commercial purposes," she added.

National Elephant Institute member Sitthidej Manasawangkul believed allowing other countries to possess sperm and embryos of Thai elephants would result in disputes over intellectual-property rights.

The department is working with the National Park, Wildlife and Plant Conservation Department on the regulation of the export of living or dead animals under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species.

Under the proposed rule, living or dead Asian elephants could be exported with Foreign Trade permission.

Body parts of elephants and other animals allowed to be exported include tusks, sperm, seminal fluid, embryos, hair, meat, skin, teeth, nails, bone, blood and genetic signatures.

Adisorn Nujdamrang, a senior National Parks official, will pass on the concerns of elephant groups and conservationists to a department panel. It will attempt to meet these concerns in conjunction with Foreign Trade. The export of elephant sperm and embryos could be prohibited or allowed conditionally.

Conservationists met to discuss the issue yesterday, joined by local independent elephant-breeders.

Breeders supported another rule allowing local elephants to perform in overseas shows but said a Bt1-million guarantee for each animal was too expensive. The meeting agreed only that elephants over three years old could be exported, while most conservationists maintain that elephants should be exported sparingly or be permitted to be kept abroad permanently.