Elephants honored in Thailand as part of nation's heritage

Traditionally, they have been used as work animals and even in warfare but in modern times their very existence is under threat.

The president of the Nong Nooch Tropical Garden in Chonburi province, where a ceremony was held to mark the day, said elephants were a source of national pride and part of the country's cultural and historical identity.

"We are now trying to maintain those domesticated elephants and give them food and shelter," Kampon Tansacha said. "If I release all of them to the wild, they won't survive."