Elephant Polo To Continue Despite Abuse

By Lobsang Dundup Sherpa Subirana, Deputy Editor

 

  

Mahouts wielding bullhooks sit on elephants Saturday in the walled field where they were kept when not competing.

 

BANGKOK — The host of an annual elephant polo tournament said Sunday that one case of animal mistreatment does not merit canceling the annual event.

 

In response to footage released Thursday showing elephant trainers striking and prodding the animals with bullhooks, William Heinecke, host of the annual King’s Cup Elephant Polo, said the inappropriate behavior of what he described as one caretaker wasn’t cause to cancel the whole tournament.

 

Full story: http://www.khaosodenglish.com/news/bangkok/2018/03/12/elephant-polo-to-continue-despite-abuse/

 

-- © Copyright Khaosod English 2018-03-12

Quote

Heinecke said all participating elephants had been bred in captivity and not captured in the wild, adding that they wouldn’t have a way to feed themselves if they were released into their natural habitat.

 

Shirley, they could dial 1112 to order a pizza.

 

William Heinecke, host of the annual King’s Cup Elephant Polo, said the inappropriate behavior of what he described as one caretaker wasn’t cause to cancel the whole tournament.

True enough. The event should be cancelled simply because it is entirely shameful. All other such events that use animals should be cancelled also.

What a shameless character William Heinecke is, 1 caretaker acted inappropriately my a++e.

It is normal behavior for these cretins and should be stopped, but hey money is more important than a few elephants.

Pimping the pakaderm...

What on earth do people think is done to an elephant to make it

tame, they basically beat it up.

This is not new !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm not condoning it,    but the above is the truth.

Elephants should be left in the wild. 

Edited March 12, 20188 yr by stanleycoin

3 minutes ago, colinneil said:

What a shameless character William Heinecke is

 

He's definitely gone native.

 

For such a successful businessman you'd think he would have some knowledgable publicists on staff letting him know how bad this sort of thing looks in the outside world?

 

I guess he tried water polo a few years ago but the elephants drowned?

I think PETA may have misjudged the attitudes of many HiSo Thais.  The basic belief of PETA is that slavery is bad - and animal slavery is on par with human slavery, but in Thailand there's still people who see human slavery as a legitimate business strategy, so elephant slavery seems entirely natural.  The UK had similar attitudes in the 18th century, and ports like Liverpool and Bristol were built on slavery.

 

The attitudes being expressed by the organizers are similar to the owner of the Coliseum saying that all the slaves were bred in slavery and they would not know how to feed themselves if we let them go, and anyway the Gladiators are well fed and watered, so what's the fuss about?

3 hours ago, colinneil said:

What a shameless character William Heinecke is, 1 caretaker acted inappropriately my a++e.

It is normal behavior for these cretins and should be stopped, but hey money is more important than a few elephants.

Normally wild elephants love to play polo, only this nasty bugger didn't like to listen so he needed some correction..They also love to make paintings,  play soccer, walk in touristic area's on a chain, they are almost like dogs...well farang dogs that is, thai dogs don't listen at all.

5 hours ago, webfact said:

said Sunday that one case of animal mistreatment does not merit canceling the annual event.

usual one-dimensional thai thinking; the fact that i killed your mother has no correlation to the likelihood that i will kill your whole family (uh huh)

Heinecke said all participating elephants had been bred in captivity and not captured in the wild, adding that they wouldn’t have a way to feed themselves if they were released into their natural habitat.

 
Shirley, they could dial 1112 to order a pizza.
 

I think I'm going to drastically reduce my 1112 pizza intake.

Quote

Heinecke said that elephants were treated well and that a team of veterinarians was always on standby.

 

How about a team of doctors on standby, and 2 Somchais on your back prodding you with bullhooks? Let's see how you like that.

 

 

Edited March 12, 20188 yr by Darcula

"Great movie, the use of the bull hook and authentic leg chains are just stunning" Peter Travis - Rolling Stone Magazine.

7 hours ago, Darcula said:

 

Shirley, they could dial 1112 to order a pizza.

 

Trunk call?

 

(For our younger readers - the term trunk call was adopted for long distance calls. Initially a trunk call had to be booked in advance and a switchboard operator called the subscriber when the call set-up was completed).

The footage was shown on the main UK news the other day. One could not fail to be shocked by it.

 

A lot of people in the UK will be put off visiting Thailand after seeing this for sure. A total disgrace.

 

 

And anyone interested in see how they 'tame' the elephants you see people riding in Thailand then google 'breaking baby elephant'.

 

I won't post the video here.

9 hours ago, Fish Head Soup said:

The footage was shown on the main UK news the other day. One could not fail to be shocked by it.

 

A lot of people in the UK will be put off visiting Thailand after seeing this for sure. A total disgrace.

 

 

He is a supporter of the Thai Elephant Conservation Centre! The way to get pompous hypocrites like Heinecke to behave is to hurt them in what is most important to them, their pocket book. If people withdrew their custom from his obesity outlets he would soon sit up. 

18 hours ago, stanleycoin said:

What on earth do people think is done to an elephant to make it

tame, they basically beat it up.

This is not new !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm not condoning it,    but the above is the truth.

Elephants should be left in the wild. 

 

I agree that elephants, and other wild animals, should be left in the wild.  But, it is not the case that all domesticated elephants need to be abused to be tamed, those born in captivity and kept together with their already broken mother often need little training, learning off their mother, it is the ones taken from the wild that go through the lengthy and brutal breaking in process.  Unfortunately taking elephants from the wild is still happening in Thailand, we know for a fact that it must be as the numbers of captive registered elephants far exceed the number born in Thailand, they are presumed to be coming from other neighbouring countries, somehow smuggled in.

45 minutes ago, Knee Jerk Reaction said:

He is a supporter of the Thai Elephant Conservation Centre! The way to get pompous hypocrites like Heinecke to behave is to hurt them in what is most important to them, their pocket book. If people withdrew their custom from his obesity outlets he would soon sit up. 

What are those obesity outlets? I have no idea...but i want this to stop today so let me boycot that guy heniecke

Just now, Thian said:

What are those obesity outlets? I have no idea...but i want this to stop today so let me boycot that guy heniecke

Oh i see now, i spend loads of money on his shops....i love all of them....that will be over now. no more pizza supaadaalak, whoppers, eyecream, australian chopped steak, talking bread for me.....

51 minutes ago, Kieran00001 said:

 

I agree that elephants, and other wild animals, should be left in the wild.  But, it is not the case that all domesticated elephants need to be abused to be tamed, those born in captivity and kept together with their already broken mother often need little training, learning off their mother, it is the ones taken from the wild that go through the lengthy and brutal breaking in process.  

I reckon they bash them just the same , when your not looking.

or anyone else for that matter.

Outside of Thailand maybe your right , but here.

they don't care what they do to Animals.

1 hour ago, stanleycoin said:

I reckon they bash them just the same , when your not looking.

or anyone else for that matter.

Outside of Thailand maybe your right , but here.

they don't care what they do to Animals.

 

They all get a bashing, but the videos you see on the net of people torturing baby elephants is the breaking of wild elephants not those born in captivity, that was all I was really trying to say, not condoning any of it, just trying to keep it real.

...but if you have a dart board in your bar or want to have a cigarette on the beach...

And today is "National Elephant Day" [emoji45]

On ‎3‎/‎12‎/‎2018 at 3:08 PM, webfact said:

Heinecke, host of the annual King’s Cup Elephant Polo, said the inappropriate behavior of what he described as one caretaker wasn’t cause to cancel the whole tournament.

No. It was unfortunate for him and his business that it was caught on camera.

I'm sure the "inappropriate behavior" has been going on for a long time and prior to every tournament he has hosted/sponsored.

The guy is an aloof sicko.

2 hours ago, johng said:

And today is "National Elephant Day"

So stand up and unite against the exploitation of elephants!

 

 

Off topic trolling posts and the replies about Pizza Company have been removed.