While visiting the Golden Triangle in northern Thailand, we had the joy of visiting Think Elephants International, where Dr. Joshua Plotnik explained how they study domesticated elephants in order to promote elephant conservation.
In this video, Dr. Plotnik explains some of the basic understandings about elephants on our visit to their grounds in Chiang Saen.
After watching their many experiments on behavior, Dr. Joshua Plotnik and Dr. John Roberts addressed the students’ remaining questions.
Is buying elephants the ‘key’ to protecting this endangered species?
Why do the Mahouts use hooks on the elephants?
These issues and many more gave TGS students a well-rounded view of the complexity of the wild and captive elephant situation in Thailand.
For more information on their work, visit Think Elephants International online or the Golden Triangle Asian Elephant Foundation website.
To hear of more conservation efforts by TGS guests, listen to WWF International President Yolanda Kakabadse explain the interconnectedness of humans, flora, and fauna.