A feast for elephants was held in the ancient Thai city of Ayutthaya. The giant animals are treated to fruits and vegetables. And Buddhist monks conduct traditional ceremonies. This is how Thailand celebrates National Elephant Day.
70 animals were brought to the festival. Volunteers, local and foreign, help feed them.
There are 3,800 domesticated elephants in Thailand. Many live in nature reserves.
National Elephant Day has been celebrated in Thailand since 1998. The initiators were environmentalists. So they want to remind Thais that elephants play a big role in their lives, so they need to be more actively protected from poachers and cruelty.
