The Friends of the Asian Elephant, a leading conservationist in Thailand on Monday accused the government of damaging the nation's endangered Asian elephant population by approving a proposal to swap five of them and other animals with white tigers at a Chinese zoo.

Zoraida Salwala, secretary of the group revealed the government has approved a plan to swap some 29 animals, including five elephants and several chimpanzees with two rare white tigers and dozens of other animals.

The elephants and the animals would be sent to the Chime-Long Night Zoo in Guangzhou in early September, the group said.

She said, "Everything they have done has raised questions that the sending of the elephants may not be transparent."

In a statement issued by the Chiang Mai Night Safari in Chiang Mai, Thailand, it admits that two white tigers and 39 animals would be coming from China in an animal exchange deal to strengthen relations between the two countries.