AR-News: (Thai.) Probe into elephant deaths

[Animalara2003 at aol.com]

Published on Apr 5, 2004 

The death of two of a group of eight Thai elephants shipped to China in 
February has raised suspicions of illegal transportation of the animals for dubious 
purposes, Sakhon Nakhon Senator Pensak Chaksuchinda said yesterday. 
She said Phang Singkham and Plai Lek were reported dead at Hang Zhou Safari 
Park in Hang How, China, on February 24 because of cold weather by the 
Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora 
(CITES). 
The eight elephants were sent to China on February 22 by Winai Sandee on 
behalf of the Elephant Foundation of Thailand, said Pensak, who is also president 
of the Senate subcommittee on natural resources and environment. 
Pensak said the elephants had been given a check-up by the Department of 
Livestock Development on February 17. 
She quoted a mahout who accompanied the animals as saying the aeroplane hired 
for the trip was quite old and the elephants were upset and stressed out. 
The mahout said Winai's son Somsak Sandee, an animal handler who also 
travelled with the elephants, decided to increase their dosage of tranquilliser, 
causing two of them to pass out. "Normally, the elephants must be accompanied by a 
veterinarian," Pensak pointed out.




full story:

http://nationmultimedia.com/page.news.php3?clid=3&id=111302&usrsess=1 
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