FW: Phuket zoo cruelty

[Guest guest]

sharmaine Wednesday, April 11, 2007 10:09 PM

info

Phuket zoo cruelty

 

Hello.

 

I am wanting to report to you an account of cruelty I witnessed whilst

holiday in Phuket, Thailand in February this year. I hope you can somehow be

of assistance

 

The Phuket zoo conducts a daily " Elephant school " performance for the public

each day One part of the show consists of a younger elephant appearing to

calculate mathematical sums. The elephant is at a guess two, only standing

at 5 and half feet with a thick dark fringe indicating its immaturity.

Addition and subtraction sums are placed on a board and the elephant is

asked by his trainer to add or subtract the sums and then fetch the

corresponding number, placing it on a board for the public to see. I watched

the performance away from the main crowd as it was a particularly hot day

and I was nursing my 3 month old baby, not intending to stay long but I

became interested in the young elephant's behavior and the irritable

reactions of the trainer. It seemed the elephant was not co operating on

this day, often strolling away from the numbers and being fetched after by

the trainer to repeat the exercise. I had noticed the anger expressed by the

trainer when the elephant became distracted and uncooperative. Opposite side

of the elephant to the crowd, the trainer displayed clear signs of anger,

clenching his teeth and tugging viciously at the base of the young

elephant's ear, clearly wishing to punish and inflict pain. The elephant

eventually completed the questions asked and the trainer led the elephant

out to a separate enclosure at the rear of the show. From the sidelines and

over the loud theme music playing I could hear repeated cracking of a whip

and I hurried along to the back area standing on an elevated position to see

if what I feared was correct. Sure enough the trainer was viciously whipping

the animal and furiously punching it in the facial area. The elephant

huddled into a corner looking extremely fearful. The whites of his eyes were

visible and the animal was attempting to shelter itself into the corner of

the enclosure. I called out demanding the trainer to stop the action,

another zoo worker watching on approached him to point me out and he

responded by looking very surprised. I can only assume from the fury in this

man's face that the elephant would suffer by his hands on many occasions.

 

Whilst at the zoo, I stumbled across an unmarked enclosure, a small concrete

pen no bigger than 8 feet x 5 feet, surrounded by thick wire. It was

difficult to view the cage though the thick wire, it was extremely dark due

to the limited sunlight exposure due to the wire . Inside was a Cheetah,

pacing the pad. No grass, no toys, no company and no way of any of the

public knowing it was there. Seemingly, wasting away.

 

Please, is there anything you can do? Or can you recommend I contact anyone

else? I have had many a sleepless nights since viewing this inhumane

cruelty.

 

Sharmaine Sanders

 

AUSTRALIA