BANGKOK, Jan. 21 (Xinhua) -- Thailand's ongoing drought crisis is taking a toll on Thai elephants in water-scarce provinces.
The Southern Elephants Association in Thailand's southern province of Trang told reporters on Tuesday that mahouts were concerned of the effects of the drought on elephants' health.
In such dry season where water is scarce, we cannot let our elephants work in the logging industry as there are no water in rivers or lakes, the association said in a statement.
From about 100 elephants in Trang, only a dozen remain after most of them are hired for elephant trekking in nearby Krabi, Phang-nga and Phuket provinces in the South, it said.
Khun Noi, the owner of a 32-year-old male elephant, said drought and heat could depress the jumbos and therefore mahouts must keep them close to water sources.
But there are no available water at all, said Khun Noi.
The association is pleading the Thai government to find a way out for the elephants to cope with the drought season. Enditem
