(TH): The scandal of „Elephant shows‰ in Thailand

[Guest guest]

Thanks for that Azam, there is a rather large Facebook group (over 200) on

this topic, so u can go there and search for ³SAVE THE ELEPHANTS, STOP

STREET WALKING EXPLOITATION² - they are focusing on the practice of

dragging elephants thru the streets of BKK, mostly to tourist attractions,

to try and get people to buy them sugar cane or whatnot and charge 20 bht

for the privilege. Here is a poster from the photo library there, which I

thought to be of some interest:

 

http://photos-h.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-snc1/v1817/205/47/1405057066/n1405057066_\

169127_6266.jpg

 

 

On 12/27/08 5:41 PM, " AZAM SIDDIQUI " <azam24x7 wrote:

 

>

>

>

> The scandal of " Elephant shows " in Thailand

> http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/world/thailand-elephants.html

> Written by Gabrielle Nagle.

>

> Thailand's Elephant Crisis

>

> Anyone who's been to Thailand will agree that elephants are a huge part of

> Thai culture. As the country's national symbol and ideal snapshots of

> 'exoticness', elephants are essential to Thailand's tourist trade. Visitors

> are absolutely bombarded by the elephant experiences on offer when browsing

> tourist attractions; elephant shows and elephant trekking draw in enormous

> numbers of travellers all searching for that 'authentic' and up close

> interaction with these gentle giants, unobtainable back home with only

> artificial looking zoos on offer.

>

> Torture Training Method

>

> The disturbing and brutal reality that breeds these 'must see' elephant

> attractions is not widely known by tourists or Thais. The fact is that

> mahouts and elephant trainers use what is known as the 'torture training

> method' to make these wild creatures obedient and tourist friendly. This

> method involves tying or chaining the elephant up in a confined pen that is

> too small for the animal to move. True to its name, the elephant is then

> tortured constantly with beatings, often involving sharp instruments, and

> left without food or water for days or even weeks. This is designed to break

> the animal's spirit which it certainly achieves, often taking its sanity

> too. Used for centuries to domesticate wild elephants, the torture training

> method is still accepted as the only viable training method for elephant

> handlers and is used in almost every elephant attraction in Thailand.

>

> Centuries of Abuse

>

> Unlike the elephant populations of India and Africa, 95% of Thailand's

> elephants are domesticated working elephants. Furthermore, only wild

> elephants have any legal protection in Thailand, leaving the vast majority

> of Thai elephants vulnerable to abuse and neglect by their owners. Deeply

> rooted in Thai culture, elephant training has traditionally been a familial

> heritage passed down through the generations. Domesticated elephants were

> often used for logging, which became illegal as widespread destruction of

> Thailand's forests resulted in worsening monsoons. This left hundreds of

> elephants out of work and many were simply abandoned by their owners.

>

> Street begging elephants

>

> Unable to survive in the wild, some died and many were used as tourist

> attractions or for street begging. Street begging elephants are dragged

> around cities in chains by their owners who charge tourists to feed them.

> Needless to say the elephants are clearly distressed by the traffic and

> noise and this practice became illegal due to the traffic dangers posed,

> however street begging elephants are still a common sight in Bangkok and

> Chiang Mai. Unlike the mahouts that grew up around elephants and inherited

> their profession, most of the elephant handlers operating today are

> opportunists with little or no knowledge of the nature of elephants or what

> they require to survive.

>

> It is possible to visit the park for a day, or to stay for as long as a week

> or more to learn about, and work with the elephants. The cost can be as

> little as US$340 for a week including basic accommodation and all your

> meals.

>

> A New Kind of Elephant Experience

>

> The only hope elephants in Thailand seem to have is a unique project called

> the Elephant Nature Park, based in Chiang Mai. The park serves as a

> sanctuary for sick and injured working elephants and runs on donations.

> " Education is the key " explains Daeng Chaidee, the park's representative.

> " Much like the western world forty years ago, there is very little awareness

> about animal cruelty in Thailand. We host a number of Thai student groups

> and are starting to see more Thai support, but time is needed before a

> general population consensus can be established " .

>

> Avoid elephant shows and elephant trekking

>

> In the meantime, what can we do to help improve the chilling situation

> elephants face in Thailand? Firstly don't encourage the brutal trade by

> endorsing elephant trekking or elephant shows when visiting Thailand. The

> Elephant Nature Park is the only one of its kind, so it's safe to assume any

> other interactive elephant attractions you see on offer in the country are

> part of the abuse and exploitation elephants endure. Secondly you can help

> by supporting the work of the Elephant Nature Park. Daeng Chaidee adds

> " elephant lunches and health kits are always urgently needed by the whole

> herd and can be bought on our website " .

>

> Have a look at http://www.elephantnaturepark.org/

 

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