[Vocabulary] the country's shrinking herds and for smuggled calves to be 'laundered' into

[nininaz]

Hello Teachers,

According to the following reports , what is the meaning of bold contexts?
Shrinking? and laundered?

To meet this demand, smugglers in Myanmar capture and tame wild elephants from the country's shrinking herds. The young elephants are caught in pit-traps, cruelly beaten to break their spirits and then smuggled across the border. The Thai authorities have cracked down
on this trade with some success over the past two years, but campaigners believe that criminals are now stocking up, ready to transport the animals once again, when restrictions end.

Traffic and other campaigners want to see a toughening up of the laws in Thailand. Elephants don't have to be registered there until they are eight years old, creating an opportunity for smuggled calves to be 'laundered' into the domestic population.

Source:http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/language/wordsinthenews/2014/07/140707_witn_elephants_story.shtml

 

[bhaisahab]

The phrase "shrinking herds" refers to the herds of elephants in Myanmar that are shrinking. There are fewer and fewer wild elephants in the country. The verb "launder", in the sense that it is used in the article, is usually used in connection with money. Have a look at the definition here and see if you can understand what it means in the context of elephants. http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/launder_2

 

[nininaz]

The phrase "shrinking herds" refers to the herds of elephants in Myanmar that are shrinking. There are fewer and fewer wild elephants in the country. The verb "launder", in the sense that it is used in the article, is usually used in connection with money. Have a look at the definition here and see if you can understand what it means in the context of elephants. http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/launder_2

Lots of thanks.
to be laundered into domestic population means to put money into the bank from elephants trade ?!

 

[Tdol]

No, it means that if you smuggle young elephants into Thailand, you can register them as Thai-born elephants when they're 8. It's harder to smuggle an older elephant in because you won't be able to register it so easily.