A Brighton animator is drawing on people's love affair with Dumbo, the cartoon elephant, for a new project.

Millie Young spent months in Thailand researching the real-life animals for a new animated film, which she hopes will be broadcast worldwide.

She has also launched an art and poetry competition that asks people to use images of children's characters Dumbo and Barbar to help protect endangered elephants.

Millie, 35, of Freshfield Road, began research for her film after winning a £1,500 award from Meridian Television for her film about fox hunting, titled Tally Bloody Ho.

With her keen interest in wildlife, she developed an interest in elephants and decided to visit the Thai Elephant Conservation Centre and Elephant Hospital in northern Thailand to find out more.

Millie, who has been teaching animation for more than ten years, said: "I had an idea of what an elephant was in my head but I had never really seen one."

During her stay in Thailand, she observed the elephants, made drawings, took photos and interviewed people.

The film, due to go into production later this year, will be about the relationship between elephants and their keepers, called mahouts.

The 20-minute film will be called Chang, Chang Chang!, which means Elephant, Elephant, Elephant, after a traditional Thai children's song.

The number of Asian elephants is rapidly decreasing with only 2,500 domesticated animals left in Thailand and 3,000 in the wild.

If the decline continues at its present rates, they could be extinct in 20 years.

Millie said: "The relationship they have with elephants is amazing. People are working hard to build up good ethics of working with these animals.

"What I am trying to do with the film is make people aware of the situation. These elephants can't be sent back to the wild."

Millie is running the contest to raise funds for the conservation centre. People are being asked to draw or write a poem about what an elephant means to them, drawing on the images they have had of elephants throughout their lives.

Entrants are asked to donate a minimum of £1 to help raise funds. Entries will be judged by wildlife elephant artist David Shepherd, from East Grinstead, and poet John Baine, also known as Attila the Stockbroker.

For more details and an entry form, write to Millie Young, PO Box 2679, Brighton BN1 1UJ, call or text 0797 6944684, or email millimate@yahoo.co.uk The deadline is May 5.