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Remember scenes from “Circus”, the TV show
that catapulted the then not-so-famous Shahrukh Khan of to unprecedented stardom?
It won the hearts of many with its endearing portrayal of a circus crew
living their lives amidst all sorts of fun and difficulties.
One scene in particular stands out,
one where every single member of the team is reduced to tears,
when one of their most loved elephants falls sick
and the vet was not available readily.
Surely,
all kids in the 90’s who watched this show avidly would vouch,
for the pain and helplessness
they felt when they saw it on their screens.
That pain,
kind of,
has become the reality for thousands of elephants,
all over the world who are used,
tortured
and built for tourism
that has seen a huge growth in the last two decades.
Elephant tourism
Initially
these majestic animals were mainly used in circus
and shows where they were made to learn all sorts of activities,
which were performed in timed intervals in front of an audience,
paying for such acts being performed.
But with the advent of tourism and its growing acceptance all over the world,
usage of elephants for entertainment found new definitions,
and led to the birth of “elephant tourism”.
What seems like a fun experience to tick off your bucket list,
when you plan on that elephant ride in Thailand,
or go for a bath with the babies of the herd in India,
is actually a reinforcement of “hidden cruelty” on your part,
knowingly or unknowingly.
Taming the elephants for tourism
Before they are prepared for human interactions,
elephants are made to go through a series of processes,
called “crushing” or “phajaan” as follows.
Baby elephants are forcefully taken away from their mothers,
and put into a training process that is even more rigorous than it sounds.
Even before
the baby elephants can overcome the shock of
being thrown into an unfamiliar environment they are restrained
in a pen and beaten for several weeks
in order to “crush” their body, mind and spirit.
As a spectacle of delight for tourists,
the elephants are then exposed to exhaust fumes,
hot concrete,
collision with traffic
and the constant stress of being surrounded by people and loud noises.
Along with crushing,
these species are often injured during elephant rides
for which a heavy and unwieldy ‘howdah’ (elephant seat)
is put on their backs secured with ropes around their neck
and stomach that can cause sores, abscesses and even spinal injuries.
All these lead to a 50% reduction in life expectancy,
and as a consequence,
baby elephants often die by the age of five,
after being unable to sustain any longer.
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As per a report by the World Animal Protection (WAP) dated 6th July 2016,
at least 77% of captive elephants are chained day and night,
even when they are not being used for entertainment.
They are fed poorly and often do not have the proper veterinary care,
that they need mainly
due to lack of resources and negligence on their caretakers’ part.[/su_box]
Elephants are used to taking care of their young ones
So despite all this why is elephant tourism continuing to prevail?
As Chiara Vitali,
a wildlife expert at WAP puts it,
“It remains popular as it is a hidden form of cruelty”.
The tourist does not see the process of crush,
sleep deprivation,
and use of sedatives to numb the elephants.
Walking with elephants encourages people to observe elephants in their natural habitat
Ethical elephant experiences
Are there solutions?
Recently a phenomenon called “walking with elephants”
has found its takers among tourists who are aware of the underbelly of tourism.
The practice encourages,
people to simply watch elephants in their own natural habitats
(read sanctuaries built for them) from a distance without the mahout,
ropes
and forceful entertainment in tow.
However,
this is still a relatively new introduction to elephant tourism
and is yet to be adapted widely all over the world.
What you can do:
In the meantime,
you can do your part by being aware.
Read up on the places
which maintain a balance between the needs of the animals
as well as the tourists
and help in the sustenance of these animals for the long run.
Thailand has taken the lead in making efforts,
mainly due to a rapid increase in elephant tourism in their land
which demands nearly 12.8 million of healthy elephants every year.
Projects like
Golden Triangle Asian Elephant Foundation,
The Elephant Asia Rescue and Survival Foundation (EARS)
have a “where to visit” page on their websites that lists places in South-East Asia,
which run a quiet and natural habitat for elephants to be born,
bred
and grow up,
along with being a vision of marvel to tourists
who come to visit them from a distance,
maintaining the decorum and privacy that each animal is entitled to.
So if you’re planning a trip to Thailand
or any other place in South-East Asia soon,
don’t just plan on ticking off your wish-list
at the cost of these harmless beautiful creatures’ basic comfort.
Do your research and your part in conserving their health
and longevity by supporting ethical elephant tourism.
Like this post?
Find out more about why we promote responsible travel.
Want to have an ethical elephant experience?
Trippin Traveller can help!
Write to us at connect@trippintraveller.com
or What’sApp/Call on 7899603009.
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