The online meeting with Kolmården zoo

          On 3 November 2023, Ambassador Arunrung Phothong Humphreys chaired a meeting organized by the Royal Thai Embassy on the developing and promoting further relationship and cooperation planning between Thailand and Sweden, which stems from Kolmården zoo’s keeping of 3 Thai elephants. The meeting participants included Christine Karmfalk VD/CEO of Kolmården zoo, Mr. Sadudee Punpugdee, CITES Management Authority of Thailand, Department of National Park Wildlife and Plant Conservation, and Mr. Taweepoke Angkawanish, Ph.D., Thai Elephant Conservation Center and his team. Direction and focus of the cooperation beneficial to the exchange of knowledge were identified, with all sides expressing their readiness to collectively materialise the scope of activities further in January 2024.

          The meeting is a product of the Ambassador’s visit to Kolmården zoo in July when its CEO, Christine Karmfalk expressed her intention to expand the zoo’s knowledge of elephant care with the Thai side in multiple dimensions. In the same occasion, it was evident that Kolmården has been taking loving care of the elephants, and that the elephants were healthy.