by Loti | Mar 4, 2013 | Animals, Thailand
Thailand. With the opening of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) yesterday in Bangkok, Thailand has announced they will move to ban all ivory trade including domestic trade. (I like to think my signature on the petition last week really moved this along). This is potentially good news for the elephants depending on when and how it is enacted. So what is CITES? Having never heard of it until last week, it certainly has been in the news recently. Well it is a treaty signed by 197 countries (called parties) with a goal to ensure the international trade of plants and animals doesn’t threaten survival of the species in the wild. Over 34,000 species are covered. Wow. Plants and animals are categorized into 3 categories with Level I addressing plants and animals faced with the threat of extinction. Included in this list are Asian elephants, some populations of African elephants, jaguars, gorillas, red pandas, tigers and manatees. Woah. Manatees? Yep. Manatees are an endangered species. And even more interesting (to me) is DNA evidence suggests manatees are related to elephants. So that sweet manatee you see in the coastal waters of Florida may be related to the baby elephant I am feeding in Northern Thailand. Once again, the world comes around in a full circle. Absolutely amazing! ...
by Loti | Mar 2, 2013 | Religions, Thailand
Thailand. I admit I don’t know much about Buddhism, but I am learning, a lot. And there is so much to learn. With over 350 million Buddhists worldwide, there is great debate – religion or philosophy? Well, it depends on who you ask. The Dalai Lama says “From one viewpoint Buddhism is a religion, from another viewpoint Buddhism is a science of mind and not a religion. Buddhism can be a bridge between these 2 sides.” OK, so it is neither or both? Not really sure. Some of the tenants of Buddhism are: Lead a moral life Be mindful and aware of thoughts and actions Develop wisdom and understanding Sounds pretty peaceful. In fact, while Buddhists have fought in wars, there has never been a war in the name of Buddhism. Hmmmm. So, while I have no idea whether it is a religion or a philosophy, nor am I sure it really matters, I do know it is a fascinating way of life. One I sure want to know more about! ...
by Loti | Mar 1, 2013 | Africa, Animals, Thailand
Thailand. In 1989, a worldwide ban on the sale of elephant ivory was agreed to by 105 (out of 110) countries as part of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). Although Thailand is part of the agreement, they have a unique law that allows for the sale of ivory from domesticated Asian elephants. Huh? This law has been used to launder illegal African ivory thru Thailand. Today it is estimated 2,500 elephants are slaughtered a month worldwide for their tusks which is a status symbol in many Asian countries. Poaching is the biggest threat to African elephants while habitat encroachment is the biggest threat to Asian elephants. Next week, Bangkok hosts the annual CITES meeting. Yesterday, a petition was delivered to the prime minister of Thailand from the World Wildlife Fund (it is free to join) calling on Thailand to ban the trade of all ivory in the country. The petition had over 500,000 signatures, including mine and Leo DiCaprio’s. Oh my. How very cool to feel like I am making a difference. By the way, you may be wondering why the photo today looks different than the previous elephant photos. The elephant’s ears are much larger and she has tusks. Asian elephants have smaller ears and the females do not have tusks, unlike the African ones. So this is a photo of an African elephant I took while on safari in Botswana. An entirely different life experience just waiting to be shared! ...
