Elephants In Santa Claus Costumes Enliven Christmas Celebration In Thailand

JAKARTA - An elephant in a Santa Claus costume also enlivens Christmas celebrations in Thailand. These animals that are characteristic of Thailand appear to fill the streets and schools in Ayutthaya complete with large masks as a form of concern for the COVID-19 pandemic.

Launching Channel News Asia, Thursday, December 24, the children from the Jirasat Wittaya school were so happy with the presence of the elephants. They then sing Christmas carols and line up to take pictures with the elephants.

After that, the elephants were guided to distribute masks to children and motorcyclists. English and science teacher Brett Baxter said the event really brought the spirit of Christmas, but with a distinctly Thai flavor.

"It's great for kids. It blends two cultures. It's not just about Santa Claus. It's Thai culture based around elephants," he said.

The manager of the Ayutthaya elephant palace Ittipan Paolamai said that the elephant in the Santa Claus costume had been going on for 17 years. "This year because of the pandemic as well as the recent outbreaks, we are taking this opportunity to raise public awareness about the spread of COVID-19."

#Thai #elephants dressed as Santa Claus delivered face masks to local residents in Ayutthaya on Wednesday. Instead of traditional #Christmas gifts, elephants from the Royal Elephant Palace distributed masks to kids and passersby. pic.twitter.com/eoXPdc6D6n

- CGTN (@CGTNOfficial) December 23, 2020

Even so, this action was not fully supported by the crowd. A veterinarian and advisor for the protection of the world's animals, Jan Schmidt-Burbach, questioned the action. The Santa Claus costume, Jan said, was unacceptable.

"Children will think of elephants as entertainers and clowns rather than wild animals biologically," Jan said.

Jan added that the experience can stress the animals and accidents. "The elephant keeper has to make sure he can control the elephant. Elephants can go out of control and injure and sometimes even kill people."

However, Ittipan emphasized that the elephants were well trained and cared for. "I don't see this as exploitation or torture. We have had elephants in our province for tourism and social awareness for a long time. So it's not a big problem doing activities with them like this morning. Elephants have always been an integral part of the Thai lifestyle."