New ID cards planned to protect elephants

A new type of identity card should be issued for elephants, which should have embedded microchips, an updated photograph every six months and an updated record of every unique change, the Natural Resources and Environment Ministry said yesterday.

The proposal will be taken to the Interior Ministry, and if it is okayed, permission for the movement of every elephant will have to come from provincial governors.

This should make illegal movement or getting the pachyderms to beg more difficult, permanent secretary Chote Trachoo said.

The current identity cards used for elephants are easy to forge, while some continue being used after the elephant is dead.

Since officials have limited knowledge about the animals, they are prone to getting fooled by mahouts using false or forged identity cards.

He said the registration of elephants should be jointly conducted by other agencies, including the Livestock Development Department or Department of National Parks (DNP).

At present, Thailand has some 2,000 domesticated elephants and 3,000 in the wild.

The ministry is also considering other measures to stop poaching and abuse of elephants, stopping the trade of ivory and elephant meat, setting up a 6,000rai national elephant shelter in Surin as well as setting up a fund to provide elephant feed.

DNP directorgeneral Damrang Phidej said he was expecting the Interior Ministry to push the proposal through and that DNA samples, which cost about Bt1,500, should also be used to identify elephants in addition to microchips.