Thai elephants don't speak swedish

[Sawatdee]

Swedish zoo keepers learn Thai for new elephant arrival

Two Swedish zoo keepers are to learn Thai so they can issue commands to a pair of elephants presented to the King and Queen of Sweden.

The zoo keepers are off to Thailand to learn the language after the Royal couple were given the elephants during a visit in February.

They will also attend a special training camp for elephant keepers once in Thailand.

"The elephants must be able to understand commands in the languages they've been raised with, so that we don't have to teach them Swedish," said Magnus Nilsson, chief executive of Sweden's Kolmaarden safari park.

Thailand's culture minister Chakrarot Chitrabong visited the park south of Stockholm this week, to make sure the elephants will get a good home when they arrive in Sweden in late October.

The gift is especially welcome as the park was forced to destroy all five of its elephants after they were infected with tuberculosis.

Swedish law requires any animal infected with tuberculosis be destroyed.

© Associated Press

Story filed: 15:36 Friday 18th July 2003

[Makiy0]

Quote[/b] ]Swedish law requires any animal infected with tuberculosis be destroyed.

Hasn't a cure for tuberculosis been long discovered? Why the need for such drastic measures? Sounds a bit cruel to me.

[paul_au]

When I went to the samut prakan crocodile farm I walked under a Thai elephant, and when no one was looking, I went inside where the elepants where chained up and patted one on the trunk, it was a very friendly elephant and the elephant liked me. I like the elepants they are a very good animal.