Elephants have, for centuries, symbolized the close and long-lasting relations between Thailand and Denmark at all levels from the ties between the two countries’ royal families to the amiable relations between the peoples.

The first Thai elephants to ever arrive in Denmark dated back to 1878 when Mr. Frederik Købke, Danish Consul in Bangkok, brought “Chang” and “Eng” to Copenhagen Zoo as a present. Later in 1896, Admiral Andreas du Plessis de Richelieu gave two young female elephants, “Ellen” and “Baby” to the Zoo as a gift.

The Thai royal family has conferred elephants to the Danish royal family as gifts on two occasions. In 1962, H.M. King Bhumibol Adulyadej  and H.M. Queen Sirikit of Thailand presented two elephants, “Chiangmai” and “Buag Hah” as a gift to King Frederik IX and Queen Ingrid of Denmark on the occasion of Their Majesties’ state visit to Thailand between 12 – 24 January 1962. In 2001, King Rama IX of Thailand and H.M. Queen Sirikit gifted two elephants, “Tonsak” and “Kungrao” to H.M. Queen Margrethe II of Denmark and H.R.H Prince Henrik, Prince Consort of Denmark during Their Majesties’ state visit to Thailand between 7 – 12 February 2001. On this occasion, the people of Surin Province also presented one female elephant, “Surin” as a gift to the people of Denmark to strengthen the ties between the two kingdoms.

In celebrating the anniversary of the arrival of the Thai elephants in Denmark in 1962, on 31 May 2012, the Royal Thai Embassy in Copenhagen and Copenhagen Zoo organized the Thai Royal Elephants’ 50 years jubilee at the Zoo, where H.R.H Prince Henrik, Prince Consort of Denmark presided over the ceremony.

In 2013, H.R.H. Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn of Thailand paid a private visit to Denmark, where H.R.H. also took a tour of the Copenhagen Zoo and named the then two weeks old male elephant “Khao Sok”, whose parents were “Chiangmai” and “Kungrao”. However, at the end of 2014, “Khao Sok” suffered from a virus and was euthanized at the age of two.

In 1996, “Buag Hah” passed away at the Copenhagen Zoo and on 28 June 2017, “Chiangmai” was euthanized at the age of 58 due to aging and various chronic diseases. “Chiangmai” was considered as the oldest elephant in Europe and was named “great great grandfather of elephants” as he fathered over a dozen of elephants over the past 55 years, where the elephants have been placed in various zoos across Europe.

At present, the Copenhagen Zoo houses four Thai elephants, namely “Kungrao”, “Surin”, “Pleisak,” (the offspring of “Chiangmai” and “Kungrao”) and “Mun” (the female offspring of “Surin” and “Chang”) which was born in 2020. Meanwhile, the male elephant “Tonsak” has been on loan as a breeding bull to a Swedish zoo since 2015.

Credits:

https://copenhagen.thaiembassy.org/th/index

https://scandasia.com/10792-thai-royal-elephants-50-years-jubilee-celebrated-at-copenhagen-zoo/

https://scandasia.com/thai-princess-names-danish-elephants/

https://scandasia.com/copenhagen-zoo-euthanises-two-year-old-thai-elephant/

www.zoo.dk

Picture 1: H.R.H. Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn of Thailand at Copenhagen Zoo during her visit to Denmark in 2013.

Picture 2: Thai elephants at Copenhagen Zoo’s new elephant compound

Picture 3: Part of an exhibition about elephants on display at the elephant compound

Pictures 4-6: The Thai Royal Elephants’ 50 years jubilee at Copenhagen Zoo, where H.R.H Prince Henrik, Prince Consort of Denmark and his four grandchildren attended. Approximately 150 guests participated in the event, where “Kasetsart Jazz Ensemble” flew from Thailand to perform.