When you travel to Thailand, you can get to experience the beauty of this country, and can ride elephants in some famous places. However, you will think twice about this after you see shocking images reveal the true horror of elephant tourist rides.
The disturbing images that have gone viral on Twitter this week are believed to be taken in Phuket, one of the most popular holiday spots in the country. They show elephants are being subjected to terrible abuse from their keepers as they are forced to perform ridiculous tricks for tourists every day.
They are covered in blood because the keepers repeatedly strike them with sharp metal hooks. “Baby elephants are taken from their mothers, tied down and beaten so severely that they bleed and scream, all in order to force them to perform ridiculous tricks for tourists.”
The Tourism Authority of Thailand told Yahoo news: “Please don’t ride the elephants and don’t support this business. We never support tourists riding the elephants.” The relevant Thai government agencies are planning to remove elephants from the Working Animal list and give them special protective status in the near future.
These images of injured elephants are being released in the hope of encouraging tourists in Thailand to think again about riding an elephant. Most tourists don’t know about the cruelty behind the rides, tricks and photo opportunities, so if they know the facts, then they will not participate in cruel elephant activities.
World Animal Protection estimated that 3,000 elephants are currently being used for entertainment throughout Asia, with 77 percent being inhumanely treated.
This has to stop! You can stop the inhumanity tortured on elephants by stop riding an elephant! Please share this story so more people know about the abuse behind this popular tourist activity.