A teams of scientists and forestry officials, accompanied by a retinue of journalists, set off from the city of Chiang Mai Wednesday on the trail of the "Thai mammoths".
The search was triggered by the release of aerial photographs of the mysterious beasts taken by Princess Rangsrinopadorn Yukol, who has a keen interest in forest and wildlife conservation.
The blurry images sparked excitement among those who believe the animals may be a new elephant species, or even long-lost descendents of the extinct mammoth.
"I'm not absolutely convinced that the pachyderms are the same species as the mammoths, but I think the possibility is high," elephant specialist and veterinarian Prasit Molichart told The Nation newspaper.
"This is a great discovery."
The new species might not have descended as far from its mammoth ancestors as most other types of tuskers, he said.
Royal Forestry Department director-general Plodprasop Suraswadi said he had instructed forestry workers in the districts where the elephant search is under way to assist the experts in locating the animals.
He speculated that the beasts in the photographs may be an Indian species that had never before been known to live in Thailand.
Other elephant experts however threw cold water on the idea of a new species of pachyderm.
"It's just not possible. There's no way that it's a new species," said Richard Lair from the Elephant Conversation Centre in the northern town of Lampang.
In all likelihood, the supposed "mammoths" are really just young elephants that have not completely shed the hair they were born with, he said.
"When they're born, elephants almost always have a lot of hair. Some elephants keep the hair longer than others, and from what I saw in the photos, it looks like that was the case here," he said.
Elephants have traditionally played a large role in Thailand's culture and identity. The Thai king had a stable of white elephants and the animals once decorated the national flag and currency.
Scientists Hunt Woolly Mammoth In Thailand
Bangkok (AFP) - - Thai scientists have set off into Thailand's northern jungles to investigate sightings of large hairy elephants claimed to resemble the long-extinct woolly mammoth, reports said Thursday.[Original headline: Scientists on the trail of "Thai mammoths"]
AFP - Voila News / France - December 7 2000
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