07/09/2012
I knew about this and this is why I don`t support elephant rides as part of any tours, ESPECIALLY ecotours.
Elephants that ''work'' in Thailand and other tourist destinations have to go through a ritual called phajaan, or “crush”. It begins with the baby elephants (usually three to four years old) being taken from their mothers and placed in a small, wooden pen. To get them securely in the pen, these babies are beaten with bamboo, sticks with nails attached to the tip and bull hooks. Once in place, the crush lasts for roughly a week. During this time, they are beaten, bludgeoned, have hooks attached to their sensitive ears, and are deprived of food and water as well as sleep, all in the name of breaking ties with their mothers and becoming domesticated. While in the crush, through the infliction of pain, they learn how to accept riders, do circus tricks and paint. 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, this 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.
And, once they have their souls stomped out, they are simply vessels entertaining people. They are chained. They don’t eat enough.
Like humans, elephants have the capability to form relationships and have emotions. But, not the elephants working for the tourists.
People who visit Thailand — and other countries with elephant tourism — don’t realize the damage they cause these elephants when they support trekking camps, go to circuses or buy the paintings done by these creatures. Without knowing, they send a clear message to the elephant tourism industry that shows they support the torture these animals go through early in their life, as well as the horrific conditions they live in as cogs in the tourism wheel. Please never support this horrible practice, never ride an elephant. (Andres Grijalva)
Please sign the letter on here http://action.petaasiapacific.com/ea-campaign/clientcampaign.do?ea.client.id=110&ea.campaign.id=2644&fb_source=message and for more impact please send emails to
The Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra: [email protected] (the Secretariat to the Cabinet)
The Minister of Commerce: [email protected]
The Public Relations Depertment: [email protected]
Ministry of Foreign Affairs: [email protected]
Email block.... [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected]
(jb)
