Four elephants, wearing Santa decorations and giant masks, paraded on Wednesday during their annual visit to a school in Thailand.
The pachyderms Sri Mongkon, 14, Sri Raya, 6, Peter, 15, and King Kaew, 18, they carried baskets of masks in their suitcases to distribute to students and families outside Jirasat Wittaya school in Ayutthaya, one hour from Bangkok.
The children sang Christmas carols and took pictures with the animals.
For Brett Baxter, English and Science Teacher, the event was aimed at promoting the Christmas spirit, with a Thai twist.
“It’s great for kids. It combines two cultures, Christmas, with Santa Claus and the joy he brings … and Thailand, with elephants,” he told AFP.
“They are very well trained and cared for. We have known these elephants for years,” he added.
Ayutthaya, the ancient capital of the Kingdom of Siam, is considered the cradle of Thailand’s Christian community. Three centuries ago, European Catholic missionaries built a church in this city on the banks of the Chao Phraya River.
The children of Ayutthaya have been visited by these elephants dressed as Santa for 17 years, the director of the Ayutthaya Elephant Center, Ittipan Paolamai, recalled.
“This year, because of the pandemic (…), We took this opportunity to raise public awareness of the spread of covid-19he said to AFP.
But some NGOs have criticized these school shows, an activity “very questionable and unacceptable,” said Jan Smith-Burbach, veterinarian and member of the World Society for the Protection of Animals (World Animal Protection), who was contacted by video conference.
“They give children a totally wrong idea of these complex animals that are an endangered species. They turn into jesters and clowns when they are really wild animals,” he says.