nnual Elephant Festival in Paklay, Laos,

Members of a Laotian family meet a baby elephant Saturday, Feb. 16, 2008, prior to ceremonies at the second annual Elephant Festival in Paklay, Laos. Organizers of the three day festival are seeking increased awareness of the plight of the Asian elephant.

Elephants and mahouts arrive for ceremonies Saturday,l Feb. 16, 2008, at the second annual Elephant Festival in Paklay, Laos. Organizers of the three day festival are seeking increased awareness of the plight of the Asian elephant.

Children of an Laotian mahout look on as their father prepares his elephant for ceremonies Saturday, Feb. 16, 2008, at the second annual Elephant Festival in Paklay, Laos. Wildlife official estimated that unless conditions change the Asian Elephant in countries like Laos could all but disappear in less than 50 years.

Elephants and mahouts arrive for ceremonies Saturday, Feb. 16, 2008, at the second annual Elephant Festival in Paklay, Laos. Organizers of the three day festival are seeking increased awareness of the plight of the Asian elephant.

Crowds gather to watch as elephants and mahouts arrive for ceremonies at the second annual Elephant Festival in Paklay, Laos, Saturday, Feb. 16, 2008. Organizers of the three day festival are seeking increased awareness of the plight of the Asian elephant.

Laotian women in traditional dress gather prior to opening ceremonies at the second annual Elephant Festival in Paklay, Laos, Friday, Feb. 15, 2008. The event is held to draw attention to the plight of both domestic and wild elephants in Asia. Laos, once known as the land of a million elephants, has seen its numbers dwindle to less than two thousand domestic and wild elephants combined.

Elephants and mahouts arrive for opening ceremonies at the second annual Elephant Festival in Paklay, Laos, Friday, Feb. 15, 2008. The event is held to draw attention to the plight of both domestic and wild elephants in Asia. Laos, once known as the land of a million elephants, has seen its numbers dwindle to less than two thousand domestic and wild elephants combined.