Thai elephants march in silence for Australian bushfires

Elephants and their mahouts held up placards saying “Pray for Australia,” with pictures and cartoons of animals at the event organized by the Ayutthaya Elephant Palace & Royal Kraal, a local tourist attraction.

“Today I want to send my support to all wild animals in Australia. I want all the animals to hang in there, and I want all of them in Australia to stay alive,” said primary school student Laksaporn Loetpiriyakamol.

The Australian government has called the bushfires crisis engulfing the country “an ecological disaster”, with up to a billion animals killed or at risk in the aftermath.

Those affected include populations of koalas and rock wallabies, along with critically endangered species including the regent honeyeater bird and the western ground parrot.

“The elephants are really sad what’s happening for their cousins in Australia,” said Michelle Reedy, an Australian volunteer at the camp.

Elephants are culturally significant in Thailand. They are the Southeast Asian kingdom’s national animal and are important in its history and literature.