The illegal elephant trade is on the rise in Thailand, fueled by the tourism and entertainment industries. At the center of it all is the terrifying Surin Elephant Festival.
As A blue planet Reports say elephants are often separated from their mothers at a young age, subjected to cruel training procedures, and taught to fear their handlers.
The annual Surin Elephant Festival was originally established in 1960 to celebrate the cultural ties between the people of Surin and local elephants, but has since turned to a scene of abuse and cruelty. A series of photos taken by Asian Elephant Rescue and Survival (EARS) have revealed the full extent of the suffering elephants are forced to endure in order to make a profit for their handlers. .
As poverty and lack of alternative employment opportunities have led many to exploit elephants, the event is both a site for the illegal poaching of wild elephants and a tourist attraction. big, A blue planet report. Once captured, these ferocious animals are held captive, beaten, deprived of sleep and food, and ultimately subjected to “hard labor” for life. Up to 300 elephants a year roam the festival grounds.
Worst of all, Surin’s elephant trade depends on illegality catch and sell babies, are torn from their mother in the wild during the critically important neonatal period.
Elephant labor is vital to the Thai economy, making blanket bans virtually impossible. Economically and environmentally viable alternatives to elephants and their handlers (“mahouts”) may provide a solution.
Join us in asking the Thai government to get rid of the elephant entertainment industry by:
- Prohibition of buying and selling baby elephants at the Surin Elephant Festival, and
- Funds the maintenance and expansion of Elephant Nature Park, a nonprofit that creates sanctuaries in which free-range elephants and their elephants earn a living wage.
Compliance with each of these requirements will not only create a real, long-term alternative to elephant exploitation, but will also significantly slow down the pace of trade in Thailand.
Even if elephants are rescued from exploitative situations, releasing them into the wild is not an option – there simply isn’t enough habitat left for their basic survival. Elephant Nature Park’s mission is to give domesticated elephants a life worth living by preserving habitats, raising public awareness of humane treatment practices, and maintaining jobs. for domestic elephants – a prospect of victory.
You can help save elephants in Thailand while supporting the great work of Elephant Nature Park! Click below and ask the Governor of Surin Province to ban the sale of elephants at the Surin festival and expand the Elephant Nature Park!
