(TH): The scandal of “Elephant shows” in Thailand

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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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