Thai workers butcher an elephant for its meat in Phrae Province July 31, 2000. The...

Thai workers butcher an elephant for its meat in Phrae Province July 31, 2000. The 44-year-old male Asian elephant died naturally after suffering from a broken leg sustained during work in the forests of Northern Thailand. The people of Phrae Province have a preference for dining on elephant meat and claim that its juicy, flavoursome flesh allows them to ingest the strength and energy that the huge beasts possess. At least one dealer in the province specialises in procuring any dead elephants reported to him and sells the meat to fresh markets across the region for human consumption. One kilo of elephant meat sells locally for US$1.30, with one animal typically yielding 800 kilograms. ??? OUT