Mongabay.com is considered a leading source of information on tropical forests by some of the world's top ecologists and conservationists. TROPICAL RAINFORESTS: Imperiled Riches—Threatened Rainforests

Logging.......Amphetamine Style



Loggers in Asia have long used Asian elephants to assist in log transport. Actually, using elephants is more ecologically sound than using tractors. However, a disturbing trend is developing in Thailand, involving forest elephants and the powerful stimulant, amphetamine.

Though logging was banned in Thailand by royal decree in 1988, you would not know it because of the thriving illegal timber trade. Illegal loggers are now feeding elephants amphetamine-laced bananas in an effort to keep the animals working non-stop to harvest as much wood as possible before the rainy season. The elephants are now addicted to the drug and as many as 10 have died from exhaustion. A commentator noted that the practice will probably continue until all of Thailand's forests are gone. Continued: Economic Restructuring

Other pages in this section:

Deforestation
Threats from Humankind
Economic restructuring
Logging
Mining
War
Cattle ranching
Pollution
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Roads
Fragmentation
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 Natural Threats
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Population and Poverty

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Kids version of this section
- Why are rainforests disappearing?
- Logging
- Agriculture
- Cattle
- Roads
- Poverty







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Copyright Rhett Butler 1994-2011

"Rainforest" is used interchangeably with "rain forest" on this site. "Jungle" is generally not used.