The Bajrasudha Gajanurak Project originated from a concern shared by His Majesty King Maha Vajiralongkorn and Her Majesty Queen Suthida, having learned of the conflict between local communities and wild elephants as the animals encroached upon farmland and houses to forage for food that was otherwise inadequate in their natural habitat. Limited food sources have forced wild elephants into such a behavioral pattern, posing risks to the lives of the elephants as well as humans, particularly in five provinces in the eastern corner of Thailand, namely Chachoengsao, Chonburi, Rayong, Chanthaburi and Sakaew. To ensure the successful implementation of this project, their majesties appointed Her Royal Highness Princess Bajrakitiyabha as chair of the committee on the Bajrasudha Gajanurak Project and accepted the project under royal patronage on Aug. 2, 2019.
While the name of the project literally means “an elixir that strengthens elephants to be as strong as diamonds,” the project’s true objective equally focuses on the welfare of wild elephants and humans alike, and to strike that delicate balance where both species can comfortably exist side by side.
