Travel companies back end to elephant abuse

A CAMPAIGN by international animal charity World Animal Protection (WAP) to end the abuse of elephants in the tourism industry has secured the help of more than 100 travel companies. 

In total, 114 global companies have agreed with WAP that elephant rides and shows are cruel and should end. The travel companies, include TUI Benelux, Thomas Cook Northern Europe, and Intrepid Travel Group.

‘Leading travel brands see the value of animal protection,’ says executive director at WAP Canada, Josey Kitson. ‘Many of the companies we've engaged with in Canada such as G Adventures, The Travel Corporation, and World Expeditions, as well as those globally, including Intrepid Travel, have welcomed the opportunity to stand with us to protect wildlife.’

Despite this large number, there are still travel companies yet to commit to ending elephant rides and other cruel elephant entertainment. In order to make elephants submit to rides and other human interactions, they are taken from their mothers as babies and forced through a training practice known as 'the crush'. This process involves physical restraints, severe pain, and the withholding of food and water. By the time tourists come to ride an elephant, its spirit has been broken.

When not performing or used for rides, most elephants are kept chained and isolated from each other.

‘World Animal Protection wants to see this cruelty stop,’ Ms Kitson adds, ‘and tourists can help by avoiding animal attractions while on vacation and encouraging more companies to join our movement.’

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Explore axes elephant rides from adventure itineraries

ADVENTURE travel company Explore has removed elephant riding from all of its itineraries. The decision was made after discussions with experts including the Born Free Foundation and the Mahouts* Elephant Foundation. 

Elephants are not domesticated and in captivity they have been 'broken' or trained to behave in a certain way. Elephant rides cause damage and deformities to their spines and the activity encourages illegal elephant poaching of young elephants being taken from their mothers. Poor treatment of elephants is often due to a lack of knowledge and education in the communities that own the animals.

John Telfer, product director at Explore says: ‘We have spent time deliberating the matter and given a lot of thought to the consequences for the local communities and people who make their living by offering elephant rides. For this reason we shall work with Mahouts Elephant Foundation in 2016 to support their work in educating local people on how to offer alternative experiences to travellers, such as elephant walking safaris in the wild. We will also continue to look at ways in which we can safely take our customers to see these creatures in their natural environment.”

Sarah Blaine from Mahouts Elephant Foundation commented: ‘We're delighted to be working with Explore to help them move forward with how their guests inter-act with elephants. Our philosophy of working collaboratively with mahouts and their communities to ensure all parties' benefit is unique. We have a clear understanding and appreciation that the elephant's welfare is dependent on their mahouts and their living conditions. This approach ensures that livelihoods are protected.’

*An elephant rider, trainer, or keeper

www.explore.co.uk

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Picture Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/32778871@N06/3722290213">Elephant Riding in Jaipur</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin</a> <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.0/">(license)