There has been huge, huge controversy over the last couple of years over elephant sanctuaries, mainly the ones found in Thailand, and the ethics surrounding them. First we were exposed to the statistics of how many elephants are actually left in the world. It's now common knowledge that they're an endangered species whether that's African, Indian or Thai elephants. Then we were told of the horrific places where elephants are routinely abused; circuses and tourist spots. Now, most recently, we're being told that elephant sanctuaries, a place where most of us thought that these beautiful animals were being cared for, might just be the concentration camps of the elephant world. A place where elephants are still forced to perform tricks and have people ride them. The ethicality of these places only came about rather recently considering the scope of how long this abuse had been happening for. There was that story of an elephant on Koh Sumai trampling a tourist in a tragic accident and that made us question whether they were truly happy in these environments. For the most part the answer is obvious, no they are not.
Why only Thai elephants?
Unfortunately Thai elephants have it pretty bad. In this world as an elephant you have the sour choice of being tamed in brutal ways and then abused for the rest of your life or being chased down and shot for your ivory. The reason African elephants are not used in tourism in this way is shredded down into two reasons. First these elephants are much larger than their Thai counterparts making them a lot more dangerous. The second reason is a little more complicated. In Thailand the countries elephants were used for logging purposes. The Thais would use elephants to help carry the wood they would use to build their homes resulting in more elephants being tamed. The people of Africa wouldn't create their homes using this material and therefore didn't tame their elephants - they hadn't enough reason to. This and the fact that elephants drink a lot of water which isn't as available in Africa. This is not to disregard Indian elephants. They too undergo horrendous conditions in the name of tourism and are often ridden but I feel Thailand is better known for being a problem-country in terms of the conservation of elephants. Keep in mind Thailand, India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Cambodia and Laos all condone elephants riding.
Why only Thai elephants?
Unfortunately Thai elephants have it pretty bad. In this world as an elephant you have the sour choice of being tamed in brutal ways and then abused for the rest of your life or being chased down and shot for your ivory. The reason African elephants are not used in tourism in this way is shredded down into two reasons. First these elephants are much larger than their Thai counterparts making them a lot more dangerous. The second reason is a little more complicated. In Thailand the countries elephants were used for logging purposes. The Thais would use elephants to help carry the wood they would use to build their homes resulting in more elephants being tamed. The people of Africa wouldn't create their homes using this material and therefore didn't tame their elephants - they hadn't enough reason to. This and the fact that elephants drink a lot of water which isn't as available in Africa. This is not to disregard Indian elephants. They too undergo horrendous conditions in the name of tourism and are often ridden but I feel Thailand is better known for being a problem-country in terms of the conservation of elephants. Keep in mind Thailand, India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Cambodia and Laos all condone elephants riding.
This isn't to say, however, that all elephant sanctuaries are like this. Of course you should be wary of the word sanctuary in the first place. Just because a company can glue this onto their name using a few buzz words like 'paradise', 'park' and 'nature' doesn't make it as angelic as it sounds. There is no rule saying you have to treat your elephants right to call the place a sanctuary.
How to know if you've chosen a good elephant sanctuary:
1. The sanctuary is far away from the city. We all know; elephants and cities full of people don't mix, duh. That's too obvious a rule that even the most uneducated or unaware of people will understand. But having a sanctuary fifteen, even thirty minutes out of the city next to a main road? Still terrible. A good sanctuary will ideally be deep in the jungle via a long, muddy road with so many twists that you soon lose your sense of direction. As a general rule in Thailand the more northern the sanctuary the better. Up north there's much more space for the elephants to roam with extensive jungle habitats and a lower population of people.
1. The sanctuary is far away from the city. We all know; elephants and cities full of people don't mix, duh. That's too obvious a rule that even the most uneducated or unaware of people will understand. But having a sanctuary fifteen, even thirty minutes out of the city next to a main road? Still terrible. A good sanctuary will ideally be deep in the jungle via a long, muddy road with so many twists that you soon lose your sense of direction. As a general rule in Thailand the more northern the sanctuary the better. Up north there's much more space for the elephants to roam with extensive jungle habitats and a lower population of people.
2. You're charged a fair amount. The cheapest elephant sanctuaries are not going to be treating the elephants right. They're so cheap because instead of the owners skimming off their own pay check they're putting the creatures' welfare at risk so you think you're getting a bargain. If you can't afford to pay a higher price then just don't go. You're not entitled to anything just because you didn't do your research. Wait a couple of years, save up and pay to see a happy and healthy elephant. If not then you're turning a blind eye and you're a complete asshole.
3. You won't be riding the elephants or watch them do stupid tricks. There is a ridiculous amount of evidence to back this up; elephants DO NOT like having screaming children, fat tourists or anyone else for that matter sat on their backs as they walk around in circles. They also don't appreciated being threatened to stand on their hind legs so you can gape and probably take an Instagram picture.
4. You'll be feeding and bathing the elephants. Food = good. Baths = very good. Mud baths = out of this world. It's not too hard to see when an elephant is happy. If you ever see one playing in a lake or rolling around in a pit of mood its clear they're having a good time. They just love it. You'll probably love it too unless you're a bit squeamish and don't want to roll around in elephant poo, which I guess is understandable.
How to spot an unhappy elephant:
1. They sway from side to side. Sickeningly when people who see an elephant swaying their captors make the excuse that they're just dancing, swaying to their heartbeat or being playful. This couldn't be further from the truth. If an elephant is rocking back and forth its straight up bored and depressed. Imagine you're this huge, intelligent creature who has been chained to the ground with no space to move and no other creatures of your kind to interact with. Even the thought is scarring.
2. They look thin or malnourished. If an elephant looks thin or malnourished, then guess what, they probably are. Infant elephants in particular will be thin if they have lost their mothers.
3. They seem to have no interest in the world around them. Elephants are curious creatures. If you've ever seen a happy elephant you'll know that they're always moving and their trunks are exploring everything they can touch whether its the ground, food or your face. If an elephant is moving very slowly, their ears are hanging and their trunk isn't doing something you know straight away that something is wrong.
Tourist's blatant apathy of the situation
Nothing grinds my gears more than seeing a Facebook post, Instagram image, or whatever of someone riding an elephant, screaming about how amazing the experience was and how great elephants are. What's worse is telling these people that maybe, just maybe, the elephants don't enjoy the experience and having them ignore you or shut you down (blocking). What's EVEN worse are the people who ride an elephant and don't really mention it to anyone. The ones who do it and you'd never know. I have a feeling they're the ones who are most conscious of the state of these animals and turn a huge blind eye, knowing that if they showed what they did to social media they'd probably be torn down. There's absolutely no excuse in this day and age to say 'I did not know this elephant was being abused'. How many articles are flying around the net? How many did you come in contact with when you searched up elephant sanctuaries in your area? How do you not know its a sickening thing to do?
A question I found myself asking after checking my morals was one I'm sure many others have also wondered; wouldn't the most ethical thing to do be releasing these animals into the wild? Not necessarily cutting the chains and letting them run free to be poached by some other assholes but into a protected national park? Unfortunately the short answer is no. We've gone so far into elephant tourism and tree felling that the kindest option is now impossible. The main reason for this is that there's not enough land for these some 4000 captive elephants (just in Thailand) to inhabit. About 20% of Thailand's forests are left, and if you've been to the country this will be a harrowing figure considering the place is coated in lush greenery. They have to be involved in the tourist industry just to be fed. So live by the old rule: Have as much fun as you can while causing the least amount of harm as possible. Maybe one day in the future we'll be able to release these amazing animals back into the wild but for now we must rely on ethical elephant sanctuaries to feed them and keep them in good health until that's a possibility.
Thai sanctuaries you can visit guilt free:
Elephant Jungle Paradise Park (Chiang Mai) - This is the sanctuary that I went to visit on my trip to Thailand. It scores highly on every point I made of what makes a good sanctuary. When visiting you'll see the close, playful relationships between the mahouts and the elephants. They offer half day, full day and overnight visits. During the full day visit you're introduced to a few of the elephants where you'll feed them until they're full then you stumble through the jungle to meet a few more. Afterwards you're taken to the waterfall where you can swim, then lunch! After lunch you're taught how to make elephant medicine balls, then you go to a mud pit throw heaping masses of mud at the elephants (which they'll do back to you) and then finally back to the waterfall to wash the elephants and yourself.
Boon Lot's Elephant Sanctuary (Sukhothai) - I found Boon Lot's online through a couple of well researched articles. Looking at the website itself and doing some digging the sanctuary seems to be highly invested in the welfare of their animals. It's definitely ranging more on the luxurious side as you're invited to stay in modern cottages however during the day you'll be feeding the elephants, finding their food, keeping their habitat intact and bathing them. They only allow a few guests at a time to ensure the elephants don't become overwhelmed so booking may result in a long wait.
Save Elephant Foundation (Chiang Mai) - The Save Elephant Foundation is a company that covers many projects surrounding the care of elephants, their environment and other animals. These projects aim to create a sustainable environment for elephants while teaching its visitors about the present day challenges that they face. The company is not just exclusive to Thailand but covers Cambodia and Myanmar while also supporting projects for forest restoration and dog rescue.
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Thailand is known as the land of smiles. During my visit I found the people to be incredibly friendly, the scenery breathtaking and had an amazing time. However it is not without its flaws. Elephant abuse is one of its biggest. The only reason is not that Thai people enjoy abusing elephants, god no, its that there is always a demand from tourists. Stupid, selfish, narcissistic tourists who need to learn more on ethical travel. Don't be an ass, support sustainable tourism.
love it b
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