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Effect of Elephant Conservation Based Tourism Development on Living Status of Mahouts (Elephant-Keepers) in Ngalaik Elephant Camp, Myanmar

Received: 30 June 2022     Accepted: 15 July 2022     Published: 27 September 2022
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Abstract

Wildlife tourism could improve the green economy for developing countries and provide the opportunity to manage sustainable wildlife resources. Elephant Conservation Based Tourism (ECBT) has developed by Myanma Timber Enterprise (MTE) since 2016 and got much attention. There are still limited studies about assessment of changes in living status of mahouts and their families due to the recent development of ECBT. In this case study, the total population of twenty-three mahouts employing in Ngalaik elephant camp and their households were interviewed through semi-structured questionnaires and also conducted direct field investigation by the researcher. Descriptive statistics and qualitative analysis were applied to figure out perceived living status changes of mahouts and their families. Findings revealed that the positive impacts on human and social state of affairs have perceived by the mahouts and their households because of ECBT development while it has a few negative impacts on their financial status including households’ income and subsistence needs. This study, therefore, provides basic facts and evidences related to site-specific living status of mahouts and their families changing from timber camp to the ECBT camp. To be ethical and sustainable tourism in the future, fruitful experiences and positive impacts by their development policy have to be produced and sustained for the related environment and stakeholders under ECBT.

Published in International Journal of Economy, Energy and Environment (Volume 7, Issue 5)
DOI 10.11648/j.ijeee.20220705.11
Page(s) 100-106
Creative Commons

This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.

Copyright

Copyright © The Author(s), 2022. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Changes, Elephant Camp, Living Status, Mahouts, Tourism

References
[1] Choudhury, A. et al., 2008. (IUCN SSC Asian Elephant Specialist Group). Elephas maximus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2008. http://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2008.RLTS.T7140A12828813.en.
[2] FD, 2018. Forest Department, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation. Myanmar Elephant Conservation Action Plan (MECAP): (2018-2027).
[3] Kurt, F. & Mar, K. U., 2003. Guidelines for the management of captive Asian elephants and the possible role of IUCN/SSC Asian Elephant Specialist Group. Gajah, 22, pp. 30-42.
[4] Lair, R. C., 1997. Gone Astray—The care and management of the Asian elephant in domesticity. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Regional Office for Asian and the Pacific (RAP).
[5] Leimgruber, P. et al., 2008. Modeling population viability of captive elephants in Myanmar (Burma)- implications for wild populations. Animal Conservation, 11, pp. 198-205.
[6] Lim, C. et al., 2017. Untangling the proximate causes and underlying drivers of deforestation and forest degradation in Myanmar. Conserv Biol, 31, pp. 1362–1372. https://doi.org/10.1111/cobi.12984 PMID: 28856773.
[7] Marshal, C. R., Rajeev, T. S. & Radhakrishnan, C. N., 2011. Job Risks and Problems of Mahouts (Elephant Keepers) in Kerala, South India. Gajah, 34, pp. 18-19.
[8] Schliesinger, J., 2015. Elephants in Thailand: Mahouts and their cultures today. Phoenix. Phoenix: Booksmango, 1.
[9] Srinivasaiah, N., Varma, S. & Sukumar, R., 2014. Documenting Indigenous Traditional Knowledge of the Asian Elephant in Captivity. ANCF Rep.
[10] Sukumar, R., 2003. The Living Elephants: Evolutionary Ecology, Behavior, and Conservation.
[11] Sukumar, R., 2006. A brief review of the status, distribution and biology of wild Asian elephants. Int Zoo Yearb, 40, pp. 1-8.
[12] Thein, Z. Z. W. T., 2018. Development of Elephant Conservation Based Tourism after Implementation of Logging Ban Policy in Myanmar. International Journal of Sciences, 7 (5), pp. 87-96.
[13] Vortkamp, J., 2006. For the Love of Elephants: Mahouship and Elephant Conservation in Thailand. Graduate School of Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan.
[14] Weeratunge, C. N., 2014. The Elephant Gates. River Grove Books.
[15] Yin, R. K., 1993. Applications of Case Study Research. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
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  • APA Style

    Khant Kyaw Kyaw, Khaing Khaing Soe. (2022). Effect of Elephant Conservation Based Tourism Development on Living Status of Mahouts (Elephant-Keepers) in Ngalaik Elephant Camp, Myanmar. International Journal of Economy, Energy and Environment, 7(5), 100-106. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijeee.20220705.11

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    ACS Style

    Khant Kyaw Kyaw; Khaing Khaing Soe. Effect of Elephant Conservation Based Tourism Development on Living Status of Mahouts (Elephant-Keepers) in Ngalaik Elephant Camp, Myanmar. Int. J. Econ. Energy Environ. 2022, 7(5), 100-106. doi: 10.11648/j.ijeee.20220705.11

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    AMA Style

    Khant Kyaw Kyaw, Khaing Khaing Soe. Effect of Elephant Conservation Based Tourism Development on Living Status of Mahouts (Elephant-Keepers) in Ngalaik Elephant Camp, Myanmar. Int J Econ Energy Environ. 2022;7(5):100-106. doi: 10.11648/j.ijeee.20220705.11

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  • @article{10.11648/j.ijeee.20220705.11,
      author = {Khant Kyaw Kyaw and Khaing Khaing Soe},
      title = {Effect of Elephant Conservation Based Tourism Development on Living Status of Mahouts (Elephant-Keepers) in Ngalaik Elephant Camp, Myanmar},
      journal = {International Journal of Economy, Energy and Environment},
      volume = {7},
      number = {5},
      pages = {100-106},
      doi = {10.11648/j.ijeee.20220705.11},
      url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijeee.20220705.11},
      eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ijeee.20220705.11},
      abstract = {Wildlife tourism could improve the green economy for developing countries and provide the opportunity to manage sustainable wildlife resources. Elephant Conservation Based Tourism (ECBT) has developed by Myanma Timber Enterprise (MTE) since 2016 and got much attention. There are still limited studies about assessment of changes in living status of mahouts and their families due to the recent development of ECBT. In this case study, the total population of twenty-three mahouts employing in Ngalaik elephant camp and their households were interviewed through semi-structured questionnaires and also conducted direct field investigation by the researcher. Descriptive statistics and qualitative analysis were applied to figure out perceived living status changes of mahouts and their families. Findings revealed that the positive impacts on human and social state of affairs have perceived by the mahouts and their households because of ECBT development while it has a few negative impacts on their financial status including households’ income and subsistence needs. This study, therefore, provides basic facts and evidences related to site-specific living status of mahouts and their families changing from timber camp to the ECBT camp. To be ethical and sustainable tourism in the future, fruitful experiences and positive impacts by their development policy have to be produced and sustained for the related environment and stakeholders under ECBT.},
     year = {2022}
    }
    

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  • TY  - JOUR
    T1  - Effect of Elephant Conservation Based Tourism Development on Living Status of Mahouts (Elephant-Keepers) in Ngalaik Elephant Camp, Myanmar
    AU  - Khant Kyaw Kyaw
    AU  - Khaing Khaing Soe
    Y1  - 2022/09/27
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    N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijeee.20220705.11
    DO  - 10.11648/j.ijeee.20220705.11
    T2  - International Journal of Economy, Energy and Environment
    JF  - International Journal of Economy, Energy and Environment
    JO  - International Journal of Economy, Energy and Environment
    SP  - 100
    EP  - 106
    PB  - Science Publishing Group
    SN  - 2575-5021
    UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijeee.20220705.11
    AB  - Wildlife tourism could improve the green economy for developing countries and provide the opportunity to manage sustainable wildlife resources. Elephant Conservation Based Tourism (ECBT) has developed by Myanma Timber Enterprise (MTE) since 2016 and got much attention. There are still limited studies about assessment of changes in living status of mahouts and their families due to the recent development of ECBT. In this case study, the total population of twenty-three mahouts employing in Ngalaik elephant camp and their households were interviewed through semi-structured questionnaires and also conducted direct field investigation by the researcher. Descriptive statistics and qualitative analysis were applied to figure out perceived living status changes of mahouts and their families. Findings revealed that the positive impacts on human and social state of affairs have perceived by the mahouts and their households because of ECBT development while it has a few negative impacts on their financial status including households’ income and subsistence needs. This study, therefore, provides basic facts and evidences related to site-specific living status of mahouts and their families changing from timber camp to the ECBT camp. To be ethical and sustainable tourism in the future, fruitful experiences and positive impacts by their development policy have to be produced and sustained for the related environment and stakeholders under ECBT.
    VL  - 7
    IS  - 5
    ER  - 

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Author Information
  • Extraction Department, Myanma Timber Enterprise, Nay Pyi Taw Union Territory, Myanmar

  • Department of Environmental Economics, Policy and Management, University of Forestry and Environmental Science, Yezin, Myanmar

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