Wildlife officials told the Associated Press that drew attention to the practice after finding two elephants killed last month in a national park in western Thailand.
"Poachers took the bodies of the elephants and trunks sex ... for human consumption" Damrong Phidet, CEO of Thai wildlife agency, said in a telephone interview. Some of the meat to be eaten without cooking, such as "elephant sashimi," he said.
Poachers usually just delete the canines, which are most common in Asian male elephants and download thousands of dollars on the black market. Elephant meat market, but can lead to a broader population of elephant killing, Damrong said.
"If you keep this hunt elephants, they will be extinct," he said.
Elephant meat consumption is not common in Thailand, but some Asian cultures believe eating animal reproductive organs can enhance sexual performance.
Damrong said the elephant meat was ordered by restaurants in Phuket, a popular destination in the south. It was not clear if the dinners are foreigners.
The prosecution drew quick removal from the Phuket Governor Tri Akradecha, who told Thai media that he had never heard of such a restaurant, but ordered officials to investigate.
Elephant poaching is prohibited, and the trade in or possession of poached animal parts also is illegal. Elephant tusks are sought in the illegal ivory trade, and the child are sometimes wild elephants poached be trained talent shows.
'The situation has reached crisis point. The longer we allow these cruel acts of state, the sooner they become extinct, "Damrong said.
The quest for the bones is still the main reason for poachers kill elephants in Thailand, other environmentalists say.
Soraida Salwala, founder of Friends of the Asian Elephant Foundation, said that the adult pair of tusks can be sold from 1 million to 2 million baht ($ 31,600 to $ 63,300), and the estimated value of the elephant's penis is more than 30,000 baht (950 dollars).
"There are only a handful of people who like to eat the meat of an elephant, but once there is no demand, poachers will be difficult to resist the big money," she warned.
Thailand has fewer than 3,000 wild elephants and about 4000 domesticated elephants, according to the National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation Department.
Pachyderms were the mainstay of the timber industry in northern and western parts of the country to sign agreements have been withdrawn in 1980.
Pets are now mainly used for lifting heavy and entertainment.
