Acknowledgements

Many people have contributed greatly to this book. Dr. Charles Santiapillai read most of the country profiles in draft and offered many useful corrections and suggestions; he also kindly contributed an informal update on current numbers of wild Asian elephants - a vital backdrop to the role and numbers of domesticated elephants. The final draft was read by G.S. Child, who offered many thoughtful and useful suggestions. Jonathan Murray critically read the introduction, conclusions, and the profile on Thailand, offering many acerbic comments and several excellent suggestions. Jerry Hopkins kindly helped wordsmith the introduction and conclusions.

Three people have read individual country profiles in draft and proffered many valuable thoughts and corrected many errors. Jayantha Jayewardene read Sri Lanka. Dr. Raman Sukumar read India. Special thanks are owed to Dr. Khyne U Mar, who not only fought her way through a succession of poorly-written drafts on Myanmar but even maintained a lively correspondence about them. Ainsley Fernando and J.C. Daniel supplied key documents at key times, which is much appreciated.

Many thanks to all of the people interviewed. (Their addresses and professional affiliations are given in Appendix 1.) Even when pestered by endless questions, all offered hospitality and friendship as well as knowledge: Dr. Jayanthi Alahakoon, Dr. Charles T. Alton, Dr. James R. Chamberlain, Yu Chreav, Shariff Daim, Dr. Shanthini Dawson, S.C. Dey, Ainsley (“A.B.”) Fernando, Dr. Prithiviraj Fernando, Pham Mong Giao, Pandu Hartoyo, Sun Hean, Dr. Than Hla, Dr. Faustina Ida, Dr. Md. Anwarul Islam, Gary Jacobson, Jayantha Jayewardene, Soulivanthong Kingkeo, Dr. V.Y. Kuruwita, Dr. Sittidet Mahasavangkun, Dr. Khyne U Mar, Hiyasith Molligoda, S.K. Mukherjee, Nazaruddin, Dr. Preecha Phongkum, Vinod Rishi, Richard E. Salter, Soraida Salwala, Dr. Samedi, Dr. Charles Santiapillai, J.A. Santosh, U.V. Shambu Prasad, Phonvisay Singkham, Dr. Bounkhouang Souvannaphanh, Mattana Srikrajang, Dr. Michael Stüwe, Dr. Raman Sukumar, Harjanto Sukotjo, A.H. Sumanasena, Son Suon, Dr. Hayani Suphraman, Dr. D.N. Tewari, Dr. Schwann Tunhikorn, Vene Vongphet, Dr. Chris Wemmer, and Dr. Suvit Yodmani.

All mistakes remain those of the author. The author also wishes to apologize for not including for discussion any books or papers received after December 1996.

Great appreciation is owed to the Forest Industry Organization, a state enterprise in Thailand; thanks particularly to Manoonsak Tuntiwiwut, chief of the Office of Planning, who opened the door, and to Dr. Preecha Phongkum, who kept the door open and helped to explain the world inside.

For teaching about real elephants (not paper ones!) over the years, many thanks - in chronological order - to Paul Barkman, Dr. Preecha Phongkum, and Gary and Kari Johnson. A great debt is owed to Thai mahouts everywhere, but especially to the men of FIO and the whole Dumbo Drop team.

Thanks to Alan Roocroft, Nikom Rayawa, and Mark Shand for simply being there. Shanthini Dawson and Richard Salter taught much about elephants and the obscure mechanics of institutional life.

Particular thanks to Tim Pelling for generous permission to use his fine photographs. Masakazu Kashio, Vichan Kochabal, Dr. Khyne U Mar, and Dr. Preecha Phongkum also kindly contributed the use of photographs.

Many thanks to all within the FAO community who helped. The FAO Country Representatives (and their secretaries!) were invariably not only helpful but genuinely interested: Peer Hijmans (Lao PDR), Dato Abdul Wahid Jalil (Myanmar and Indonesia), Tsukasa Kimoto (Sri Lanka), and Peter Rosenegger (India). El Hadji Sene (Chief, Forest Conservation, Research and Education Service, FAO, Rome) kindly found supplementary funds. Special thanks are owed to Dr. Christian de Greling (former Wildlife and Protected Area Management Officer, FAO, Rome) for his foresight and enthusiasm in resurrecting a long-buried project and for keeping the faith when things got rough.

In FAO/RAP, Bangkok, Masakazu Kashio (Regional Forest Resources Officer) was the fundamental engine driving Gone Astray through FAO; without his steadfast encouragement, patience, hard work, and good ideas, this book would never have seen the light of day. Amy Tanachiva was a great help entering corrections to the text.

Gone Astray has its roots in an earlier, blessedly unpublished work, Empty Stables, which owed its genesis to the efforts of G.S. Child (at the time Wildlife and Protected Area Management Officer, FAO, Rome) and the late Dr. Y.S. Rao (at the time Regional Forestry Officer, FAO, Bangkok), whose wise and gentle spirit remains much missed.

Contents by management concern

All eleven country profiles, the West, and the final conclusions are comprised of, always in the same order, the same fourteen core subject headings, the primary concerns of any national management program for domesticated elephants. In a few countries with sparse information, some headings have been coalesced or omitted. Rigid adherence to the same subjects and order can make for bumpy reading, but it does enable easy access by either country or by management concern, allowing each reader’s interests to determine their own path through the matrix - or labyrinth. This book is not intended to be read straight through, nor even to be read in its entirety.

Quotes or statements derived from interviews are indicated by setting either the year of the interview or the year and the name of the person interviewed in italic braces, e.g., Smith {1996} or {Ghosh, 1996}. For people interviewed, see Appendix 1, page 265.