Responsible Travel Tales A blog from worldnomads.com to share our thoughts on travelling the globe responsibly

I agree with Nick. It is an overstated perspective. But thank you for sharing your views anyway. I'm sure it has opened up our minds to thinking harder and hence, to choosing better.

  gwen May 15, 2012 1:57 AM

I agree with Liam here and disagree with the overstated perspective of the author. I appreciate the attempt to make the case, but like Liam I believe what's needed is to differentiate the humane riding from inhumane. Are baby elephants abused? Sure some have been some of the time. But to generalize that this is necessarily so sounds like overstatement. The author thinks that surely all elephants have been tortured in order to achieve compliance, but he also is totally willing to grant that in the training of horses that's not required at all. To extrapolate that this abuse applies therefor to all elephant trek operations is simply painting with too broad a brush. It may well be misleading even. I won't go so far as other commenters have and attribute that to bigotry or racism, because unlike the author, I'm not an over-generalizer. There's a bigger picture to elephant tourism & riding than is being presented here.

  Nick Apr 27, 2012 10:41 AM

This is an interesting topic, and is something which all travellers should consider properly if they do indeed want to ride an elephant. However, I mostly disagree with the message this blog provides and its reasons.

Most of the reasons for why I think this blog is wrong have already been discussed in other comments. And unfortunately Diana has taken their comments out of context, or not responded to them directly.

This issue comes down to two simple matters.

The Asian Elephant is an endangered species. If you want to know what it means for the International Union for Conservation of Nature to classify an animal as "endangered," it means it faces a "very high risk of extinction in the near future." For the Asian Elephant, the primary cause of this is habitat loss. The forests and grasslands simply no longer exist to support a population of elephants. It is a poor reality, but these creatures living in captivity could not live and survive in the wild. And it is also a poor reality that they cannot simply be kept alive in an elephant camp/village that does not have any money to support the elephants. It is the money of tourists which allows these animals to survive.

People have a choice as to where they are spending their money. "Good" elephant camps exist, and "bad" elephant camps exist, because both generate an income to the people running them. Travellers supporting bad, inhumane elephant camps fund their continued existence, and travellers supporting good elephant camps encourage the bad camps to lift their game. We all have a responsibility to be aware of the impact of our activities upon our world. Any one who does want to ride an elephant can do so in a humane way, by ensuring that their money is only spent at camps where the animals are treated fairly and provided sufficient food and medical treatment.

This is not a simple matter, and it is wrong to tell people they must not ride elephants. This type of industry is, infact, saving the lives of a lot of elephants (domesticated previously from logging camps), who cannot be returned to their original habitat. If you are genuinely concerned about the future existence of elephants, focus on the issues which are actually threatening them as a species.

  Liam Apr 6, 2012 9:53 PM

Just another ploy by the white man to try and put down a second/third world country. 200 years ago the whole world was abusing animals, but now that you guys have technology for everyone in your countries you want us to stop. Maybe you could help a brother out instead of trying to stop a brother from earning a living. You honestly value the lives of animals above your fellow man and it is a joke. I bet you have never donated to a World Vision cause or for humanitarian aid. Haters gon' hate, Gangers gon' gang. Get over yourselves, the world is not perfect and your not making a difference.

  Mahul Abdul Jabbari Mar 17, 2012 7:34 PM

pretty sure most people in the world would still ride the elephant. the assumption underlying your argument is that people in this world care enough to do something about it. that assumption is false, people think of themselves. ignorance is bliss.

  Mahul Abdul Jabbari Mar 17, 2012 7:25 PM

I have just arrived back from Thailand and saw the plight of the elephants and how they are treated. So much so that I created a website that my very good friend Sindy is administering. We need to spread the word to bring this matter to the attention of the world. I hope the admin doesn't mind but my blog is called www.elephantsinthailand.org. I for one am passionate about ending the suffering of these great beasts.

  Stephen lake Feb 29, 2012 9:49 PM

Thank you so much for this story. I am on my way to Thailand and I've decided to scratch this off my list. They should really consider putting blurbs of your article in travel guides so naive backpackers get the heads up on what their tourism dollars ae supporting.

  Shwetha Feb 27, 2012 9:29 AM

AR - Sitting on the head is not as bad. As for Patra's ... look into the breeding program there. Are they being bred to live in captivity? Riding on the head is better than the back.

  dtravelsround@gmail.com Jan 23, 2012 9:02 AM

Well I have been on the fence about going to Elephant Nature PArk or Patra's. I am opposed to elephant shows, painting, tricks, etc as well as elephant and trecking. However a friend -who is an animal rights supporter- visited Patra's and loved it. She said it was different in that you only ride on the elephant's head? Is that okay? It still seems questionable to me, kimd of like swiming with dolphins. Someone please advise me!

  AR Jan 17, 2012 1:39 PM

One of my travel dreams was to ride an elephant, until I experienced a ride in Thailand. It is the most depressing memory in my long list of boomer travel adventures. Thanks for writing this post. I'm bookmarking it to include as a link for the post that I will eventually write about not riding elephants.

  Donna Hull Jan 17, 2012 5:12 AM

Thank you for this post, as well as the comments. I have read through all of them. I will admit to being unaware of this and having "ride an elephant" on my Bucket List. In fact, I was looking at a summer program to Thailand with Lifeworks that included an elephant ride.

However, I have now crossed this off of my bucket list on my website and included a link to this article. I think that main reason that many people are still involved in elephant rides is because, as you said, they simply do not know. I didn't. I also agree that it is nothing like a horse or a dog - yes, sometimes they are abused but it is not an accepted practice and there are plenty of activists and rescue centers (ASPCA, anyone?) out there to fight it. Elephant abuse is on a whole new level.

Very eye-opening post.

  Sky Dec 21, 2011 1:49 AM

As the author of this article, I wanted to take a moment to respond to some of the comments questioning the story and arguing that riding an elephant is something people should do, even after reading the arguments against it.

I was never on the debate team, so I’m going to try to address certain people’s comments as best I can.

NATALIE: I admit, the backpacking comparison probably wasn’t the best way to illustrate my point about the impact people have riding on an elephants back. It came up in a conversation with an elephant advocate who explained it to me like that, and I thought it fit well. I mean, how many hours and days can one wear a heavy backpack without feeling the pain from it or having damaging to the spine? Perhaps it wasn’t the best example, but I think readers get the point. Despite this comparison, having people ride on their backs, especially with the heavy howdah, DOES damage their spine.

As for you taking issue with the bull hook, there are a large number of spots on an elephant that are extremely sensitive. Here is a link that illustrates the impact these bull hooks can do: http://www.all-creatures.org/articles/ar-bullhooks.html. And, an elephant’s skin ranges from very thin to an inch thick. The spots where the bull hook is used aren’t always going to be an inch thick. And, even then, with enough blunt force, the bull hook can most definitely penetrate it. I spent a week as a volunteer at Elephant Nature Park and saw many elephants with deep scars in their head from being bludgeoned with a bull hook. Some of the elephants still have complications from these injuries.

I disagree with your comment regarding elephants being treated pretty decently in comparison to other animals. We don’t use bull hooks on horses. We don’t jam dogs with nails. We don’t deprive them of food or water to teach them out to be domestic. These elephants go through horrific torture to break the bond between mother and baby and to learn how to become docile. I disagree that dogs should be “routinely hit” in order to train them, and I am certain there was ways of training dogs, elephants and other animals, that does not involve routine abuse. Putting a leash on a dog to go for a walk is not the same thing as chaining an elephant for their entire lives, except when they are not working. Aside from the fact that no animal should spend its life being chained, there are plenty of images you can find online that show the deep scars on elephants feet from these chains.

In regards to elephants being social creatures and comparing them to dogs – next time you are with a dog, look and see how it is treated. Does it get love and affection? Is there always a bowl of water at the ready? Does it have an owner who is quick to rub its ears and spend time with it? Does it get to run around and play fetch? A dog’s life is not solitary, nor is it void of social interaction. Plus, the dog is domesticated. It was likely born domestic. These elephants, at some point, were NOT domestic. They were wild animals that were captured from their land and put through the Phajaan, and then brought to camps and circuses. They were taken from their social environment, from their herds, and forced into a life of solo captivity.

The role of the mahout is to be the elephant’s keeper and care for them. I don’t know if I would describe it as a “master-servant dichotomy.” It’s like being the owner of any animal – I don’t and would NEVER harm animals I own. Especially when they are my livelihood.

KIM: Elephant rides do provide a source of income for mahouts, without a doubt. However, there are other ways these mahouts can make a living with their elephants. Great examples of this are at the two parks I mentioned in the article. By not riding elephants, and letting others know not to ride them, there is a chance they will get the message that people don’t support this practice. Programs like the Surin Project in the Surin Provence of Thailand works to improve the living conditions of the captive elephants by “providing economic sustainability for their owners through responsible volunteer tourism.” So, it does exist and it is an option for them to earn money.

VAL: As you were disappointed with this article, I was saddened by your response. Most elephants WOULD be alive without tourism money. They would be living in the wild.

The horse training you speak of is nothing like the training these elephants endure.
As I describe above, the elephants are tortured to learn tricks and the like. I am sure you don’t beat your horse with a bull hook, or stab it with sticks of bamboo stuck with nails. I am including a link below so you can see what the training looks like and perhaps see that training a horse is nothing like training an elephant.

Elephants do rebel, you are right about that. However, not all do. Whether it has to do with “respect for their trainer” and being fed, I do not know. Do you?
I never said riding an elephant wasn’t a nice experience, although many people I know who have ridden them have reported it being uncomfortable. There is the risk of falling off an elephant – just the other day a German woman was killed when she fell from an elephant. In addition, people have told me that they felt horrible after riding, citing the elephant’s lack of life and its physical appearance as quite troublesome. I am saddened that, despite all of the reasons above, including the abuse to these animals, you would still encourage people to ride them. Furthermore, riding them does not promise it will “keep them on the planet.” It only condemns them to a poor existence. If we want to keep elephants on this planet, we need to stop destroying their habitat, killing them for ivory, placing land mines in the jungle …

CHRIS: As I mentioned above, perhaps the backpack argument wasn’t the right comparison since I am gathering people can’t get past that to see the message about the harm it causes.

I know someone else commented on the electric prods above, but, no, you aren’t going to see anyone use prods in front of people. Would you visit an elephant attraction if you saw them being systematically abused? I know I wouldn’t. There are plenty of well-documented stories online that deal with the prods, particularly as it relates to training them outside of Thailand (like for circuses and rides in America, for example). The LA Times recently did a story, “Elephant Rides Should be a Thing of the Past,” where they pinpoint prods being used to train them. http://articles.latimes.com/2011/sep/07/opinion/la-ed-elephant-20110907. Here’s a video that shows them being used: https://secure.peta.org/site/Advocacy?cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=3629

If you were at a camp where a mahout didn’t have a bull hook or stick, GOOD! Perhaps the camp you went to isn’t one of the ones I am talking about above. Regardless of this, however, it is important to realize that these elephants have been tortured to become domestic. There is no way around that fact. They do not let mahouts strap the platforms on them, do not let tourists get on their backs, do not go for guided walks, because they enjoy it. They do it because they have been taught if they do not they will be put through inhumane and terrible pain and suffering. This is how elephants are trained, regardless of location. In Thailand, it is through the Phajaan. In America, it is with hooks and prods. The torture training is the method used around the world to teach them how to be participants in the tourism industry. Fortunately, there are places like Elephant Nature Park, which are working with mahouts to show them there are other ways to teach elephants through positive reinforcement. These elephants, however, are not at the trekking camps, etc.

I don’t think a life being forced to be entertainment at the detriment of health and well-being is a good life. Nor do I think the logging camps are a good life. They are bad, too. The best treatment for them is to be free from living a life dedicated to delighting tourists. There are other options for these elephants that still allow camps to make money -- namely those that offer the chance to spend time with elephants, feeding and bathing them, and NOT riding them, doing tricks or painting.

As for my sources, a good deal of information was gathered via conversations with elephant experts and advocates during my time in Thailand, and beyond, as well as my own first-hand experience seeing the results of a lifetime of trekking. Sadly, most travel writers report on the joys of riding an elephant and not the harm those actions cause the animal. Here are some links to where I got additional information:
http://ecohearth.com/eco-zine/travel-and-leisure/1675-never-ride-an-elephant.html
http://asianelephantstoday.com/2010/10/28/elephant-trekking/
http://www.loopabroad.com/sites/loopabroad.com/files/Elephant%20Nation:%20Saving%20the%20Big%20Grays.pdf
http://asianelephantstoday.com/2010/12/12/elephant-back-safari-in-sri-lanka/
http://elephantsumbrella.org/
And this: 2.3 WORKING OF ELEPHANTS: “Working elephants are usually observed to suffer from back sores or spinal injuries. The reason is either overloading or uneven loading on either sides of the elephant back. An elephant may also get back-injuries is its gadela(mattress) is not of proper specification or not suitably tied. An elephant may also get injuries on its legs if the knot of the rope with which the legs are tied is not correct or its hobbles are not of proper size or if some link of its chain is pointed and sharp. Gear of the logging elephant needs careful designing to avoid injuries” .http://www.elephantcare.org/manheal.htm

The bottom line is this: I understand people will disagree with this, will argue their points, but the truth of the matter is these elephants have been abused in order to delight people. Their health is sacrificed in order to let us tick off a box on a bucket list. As I mentioned above, there are other ways to get close to these animals. Riding an elephant should not be the way to spend time with them.

To see an example of the Phajaan, check out this link. Warning: It is VERY graphic. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bjGcb1_KizY&feature=player_embedded

I greatly appreciate all of the feedback from this article. I sincerely hope even those readers who are apprehensive, and still want to ride, will read this (very long) response and hopefully understand the impact our decisions have on these elephants. Spending even an afternoon with them, feeding them and bathing them, will give you great insight into how remarkable and amazing these animals are.

  Diana Edelman Dec 3, 2011 9:56 AM

Elephant's World, in Kanchanaburi, is a good place to go if you'd like to spend time with elephants. It's a refuge for abused and injured elephants, and they let you wash them in the river and feed them. They provide medical care and social interactions for the elephants, and they need support. A great place if you're in the area.

  Meg Dec 2, 2011 3:37 AM

It's funny that people think that because prods and such aren't used in front of tourists or outsiders, that they aren't used in training. Of course these animals are abused in private or else it would be very difficult to make a penny off of the tourists.

  Ana Dec 2, 2011 1:57 AM

I was very keen and interested in your article, however, some of your arguments seem a little far fetched and unreasonable. For example, the comparison to a 50 lb pack on your back all day. That seems a little out of scale doesn't it. And the electrical prods? I was just at an elephant camp for 2 days and never once saw the the mahouts use a stick, let alone a metal prod. Finally, the elephant camp that I was in had elephants that were bought from elephant logging camps. It is only my assumption, but the tourist elephant camps perhaps offer a better life and better care to the elephants?

Nevertheless, I am most interested in what harm people riding elephants cause. Could you please offer some sort of link, article, or otherwise to show where you got your research from?

  chris Dec 1, 2011 1:39 AM

@Heather, re Patara Elephant Farm: breeding programs are unethical and immoral in that they are breeding in captivity for a captivity.

@Val, you're right in that tourism and the tourist dollar is essential for the wellbeing of elephants. But their wellbeing is not served in the lives they lead as working elephants, and the reasons are outlined by Diana above. Elephant Nature Park is a perfect example of elephants living elephant lives while being run as a profitable business.

If you love elephants, then love them for who they are, not what they can do for you.

  Mo Nov 30, 2011 1:23 PM

I have seen how poorly Elephants have been treated in Thailand - and it's appalling. On the other hand, there are organizations and centres that do take good care of the elephants. I think the key is doing the proper amount of research before making an informed decision.

  Nomadic Samuel Nov 30, 2011 12:53 PM

Jude - thank you for your support - I agree with everything you say :) 100% And I know there are many others out there who also agree

  Pam Nov 30, 2011 12:13 PM

You're amazing D! Keep up the awesome work informing travelers!

  Hogga Nov 30, 2011 10:37 AM

http://isaanstyle.blogspot.com/2009/04/elephant-cruelty-in-thailand-phajaan.html
Here is video of the usual style of 'training' an elephant.
Readers may be shocked, but essential for everyone to make up their own minds.
As unthinking tourists years ago, we rode an elephant in Angkor Wat, Cambodia. Ours trailed the others. On getting off I looked at it's feet, one had exposed wounds to it's toes. cracked and bleeding. Yet that sad animal would have to carry on taking tourists up the hill giving it no chance to heal.
Since then, never again will we ride an elephant. It is tourists who keep this exploitation going.

  Jim Nov 30, 2011 10:12 AM

Pam - Elephants are highly social creatures who, in the wild live with their mothers, aunties and sisters all their lives. When used for tourism they are usually alone - separated from their families and suffering because of it. (Same with Zoos and circuses) The elephants who are used for tourism are still essentially "wild" in nature despite hundreds of years of use by humans they have not domesticated. The selfishness of humans - tourists to want to "ride" an elephant needs to be addressed. There are other options to get up close and personal, ethical tourism. How can one tell if an elephant has been "broken" by the horrific abuse of the "Phajaan" therefe performs for fear of the bullhook, fears the mahout and acts in self preservation to avoid such terror and pain again or has been trained with love and treats... (and if people think training with love and treats is the norm then it is a sad fantasy that serves only to reassure those who want to take advantage of an elephant, eh?)

The bottom line for this is not about poor people trying to make a living it is HOW they are making the living at the misery and expense of these sentient, sensitive animals. 300 years ago it was the norm to treat animals as if they had no soul - the phajaan process it self admits they do, because it essentially means "to separate" to separate the spirit and will of the animal from herself... Lets come into the 21st century and treat elephants with the respect and kindness they deserve.

Natalie - It is true one human on the neck of an elephant would not cause "damage" it is the Howdah (saddle) weighing anywhere from 100 to 300 kgs with two to four people (add up hose kilos too) on the saddle positioned on the spine that is the problem.

When all is said and done - viable, sustainable alternative employment and the gradual reduction of elephants used in tourism for entertainment and "experience" is the goal.

  Jude Nov 30, 2011 8:48 AM

I was so dissapointed to read this article, knowing how animals, like humans love the attention shown to them. Most elephants would not be alive without tourism to bring in the money to feed them and look after them.Then there is the land on which they need for a home. The cohouts work hard, harder than most of us for a pittance.Congratulations to them for the work they do, and give them the tourist dollar.
I have trained horses with love, and know many who do not, and the same with the elephants, but their tough hides do withstand most done to them, and if not---any animal will rebel,like humans, and an elephant is huge with an excellent memory, and will win over a small cohout--stick or not.It could grab with it's trunk any time and throw him away. In fact they don't do this out of respect for their trainer and feeded etc.
Thanks to Thailand I was able to enjoy the pleasure of a most loving mother and her baby who wanted to put it's trunk up my trouser leg in play with the mother knowing how and when to step in and how far it could go.Please everyone support these few left animals and let the knowledgable cohouts do the work and not tourists.Ride an elephant before you die and tell you children to do the same to keep them on the planet.

  Val Nov 30, 2011 12:07 AM

Great to raise awareness. And thanks for the measured response Pam. I do agree overall that riding elephants in most places tourists frequent is not really an ethical step if you consider animal rights. I have ridden on elephants in Nepal, and I think it pays to ask Q's about how they are looked after before you ride. My situation was a little different as we used an elephant as transport through the jungle while conducting research on Rhino's. The elephants used by the conservation organisation were well cared for-feed, watered, bathed and in good health, take a look next door at other tourist focused organisations that offered elephant rides and the situation was very different.
In making your choice please don't forget that providing elephant rides to tourists provides an income for these very poor people, and as a tourist you have an immense amount of power when making choices about riding elephants or not. I'm not saying that because people need to eat animal rights should be compromised but If its an activity you really want to undertake, ask Q's and weigh up options, if every tourist begins to ask Q's and choose to go with the more ethical providers then the outcomes for the people and these majestic animals could be a positive.

  Kim Nov 29, 2011 1:22 PM

I have a response to Natalie:
In regards to the toughness of elephant skin - yes, it is thick, but it is incredibly sensitive and packed with nerves. Just because the elephants skin is thick doesn't mean they don't feel everything that touches it. They require frequent baths, and rolls in the mud to prevent sunburn and bug bites. If their skin is so tough and they don't feel a bullhook, why would they need to prevent bug bites? Bug bites that make them incredibly itchy. And a bug bite has far less force than a bullhook being swung by a human being. That being said, it may seem like the bullhook is not being used that forcefully by the mahout, but what we you don't see is how violently the bullhook is used during the Pajaan training that makes the elephant fearful of its use. The people doing the training are not gentle whatsoever with the bullhook and there are videos showing the Pajaan training and how violent it really is. One video I've seen, the bullhook was swung so hard that it actually stuck into the elephants forehead and the person needed to use a lot of force to remove it. Many, many elephants have lots of scarring on their foreheads from the use of bullhooks.
As to your other references as regards to dogs and horses....the article is not about dogs and horses. Just because we ride horses (and I'm not saying it's right or wrong) has no bearing on whether or not we should be riding elephants. And keeping dogs as pets (many people own more than one) has no relevance in the argument about elephants being social animals. None of these animals are the same.
Heather: I haven't visited Patara Elephant Farm but it sounds like, from what you`re saying that it`s not a bad place. Riding an elephant once in awhile can`t be overly bad for them, it`s the trekking camps that continuously ride the elephants with next to no breaks or rest time that are the criminals in this story.

  Pam Nov 29, 2011 8:23 AM

Great resource outlining what is going on and why you should reconsider... I think the first step is knowledge and knowing the difference between a good animal attraction and a bad one.

  jade Nov 29, 2011 8:10 AM

I've scratched this one off my list, thanks to your article. It's off the list!

  Steven@hundredgoals Nov 28, 2011 3:37 PM

Until I read your posts about this issue, I had no clue. It is unfortunate when we do things as travelers that are not good for the environment, the local people, or the local wildlife because of simple ignorance. It is important to keep spreading the word about this.

  Stephanie Ockerman Nov 28, 2011 11:23 AM

I had heard rumors of problems with riding elephants so when I went to Thailand I didn't do it. I just couldn't be sure and you know what, I don't think I had any less of a vacation.

  Ayngelina Nov 28, 2011 7:57 AM

I think Patara Elephant Farm near Chiang Mai, Thailand (http://www.pataraelephantfarm.com/) offers a very balanced approach to understanding elephant health and care. Yes, a ride is part of the day, but there is no ride without education, during which the elephant handlers "size up" participants in order to match them to the most compatible elephant. Each participant must feed, health check, and thoroughly wash his or her elephant; this is no small feat - the elephant handlers literally will not let you quit until the elephant is completely free of mud and other debris.

This farm rescues elephants from local "circus-like" tourist traps; has turned elephants back into the wild; and is an active breeding center. They have never lost an elephant.

One major problem with the elephant population in Thailand is loss of habitat. With more loss of habitat, extinction looms early on the horizon for these amazing creatures.

I respect your message and think that "riding" elephants in most of the tourist traps that offer it is loathsome. But just maybe Patara knows what they're doing.

  Heather Nov 28, 2011 5:05 AM

Whilst I agree with some of this post, I think part of it is a little extreme. I mean, to me the main issue with riding elephants is that it's keeping them in captivity, and yes, the chains are quite horrific. However I cannot honestly say that I didn't laugh at the idea of a human being too much weight for an elephant. That is like the idea of me walking around with a kitten on my back and saying it was hurting me. We ride horses for goodness sakes - an elephant must be at least ten times the weight of the average horse. The bullhook thing was another point I took issue with. An elephant has a surprisingly tough skin, a bullhook doesn't do a great deal of damage to it. It would be rather like someone prodding you with a needle in the rough part of skin on the bottom of your foot - you'd feel it, but it wouldn't hurt. There are, however, a multitude of softer points on an elephant, and I am aware that some mahouts use these pressure points to train the elephants, which does seem rather unfair.

On the whole though, I think many elephants are actually pretty decently treated in comparison to other animals. Take dogs, for example. You say that elephants are social creatures, well dogs are equally social. In the wild they almost always run in packs. And yet millions of people worldwide have dogs as pets, keeping them indoors in "solitary confinement" as you termed it with the elephants. Dogs are also routinely hit in order to train them not to pee all over people's carpets and tear up everything in sight. They are also chained by the neck when they go for a walk, which I doubt they particularly enjoy any more than the elephants do. In many ways I think the mahout's relationship with their elephants is not that dissimilar to most people's relationships with their dogs. It's a whole master-servant dichotomy that no one seems to have a problem with when it happens on their own doorstep in the West, but everyone is quick to blame when it is poorer people doing it for a livelihood in the East.

  Natalie Nov 25, 2011 11:43 PM

Great article and message, thanks for posting this. Let's hope responsible tourism will soon take over.

  Christopher Martin Nov 25, 2011 3:06 PM

Would be nice to see more elephant sanctuaries in Thailand, the noble elephant has served Thailand well, both at work and at war.

Even worse is the plight of elephants in the cities, they are made to walk the streets by night and beg for food to pay for their keep.

  Bodlagz Nov 25, 2011 12:53 PM

totally agree, thank you for writing this post and helping to get the message out there...

  Graham GlobalGrasshopper Nov 25, 2011 9:01 AM

Thank you so much for writing this - its a message that needs to get out there

  Jade Johnston - OurOyster.com Nov 24, 2011 7:55 PM

I've already spread the word to 2 people going to Thailand, to not ride, but volunteer at a good Elephant Park and I will continue to do so!

  Megan Nov 24, 2011 7:01 AM

I've always refused to ride an elephant, it's horrible how they are treated, how they are left chained waiting for the next ride. It's definitely a practice that should be stopped.

  Angela @ Chasing The Unexpected Nov 23, 2011 9:54 PM

I started writing down my bucket list and haven't included riding an elephant since I read all your posts about it!!!! Instead I wrote down Volunteer at the Elephant Nature Park ;)

  Sebastian @ Off-The-Path.com Nov 23, 2011 9:33 PM

This was a very enlightening article, Diana - I had no idea how much damage/pain is inflicted upon elephants in captivity. How devastating.

  Christy @ Technosyncratic Nov 23, 2011 8:50 PM

This is horrible. I hate to admit that I am one of the people who just wasn't aware. I was told that the elephants had been saved from torture but now I feel awful for being so naive.

  monica @ the travel hack Nov 23, 2011 8:50 PM

Never liked the idea of riding on an elephant. Or any other animal.You can almost see the suffering on their faces. They should be returned to where they belong and that is jungle.

  jipp Nov 23, 2011 5:14 PM

I turned down the elephant ride on offer in Pai, Thailand for the same reasons. I took one look at that poor, lonely chained-up soul and said, "No thank-you!"

So sad how most of these majestic animals are treated...

  Raymond @ Man On The Lam Nov 23, 2011 1:03 PM