The dark secrets of Thailand’s elephant tourism industry

[GammaGlobulin]

What I worry about is THERMOREGULATION in these giant beasts.

 

For example, we are seeing continued loss of cooler temps at night and early mornings.

We are also seeing higher daytime temps.

 

Can these pachyderms easily tolerate higher temps as Global Warming continues to push toward thermal extremes, and higher humidity?

 

 

 

Also, what is the best way to keep them cool?

 

 

[youreavinalaff]

4 hours ago, Robert Paulson said:

The stories you get in this place are priceless. I mean never a dull party conversations with these stories. 
 

“I was talking to a guy and he said we should be able to abuse wild elephants, and use the obviously miserable animals and profit from their suffering”

 

”why did he think that”

 

”because people ride horses”

 

lmfao 

Who said that? 

 

More barstool chat, I guess. You need to go drinking somewhere else. You hear, imagine, some strange things.

Edited April 13 by youreavinalaff

[DonniePeverley]

I've never believed for a minute in the marketting gimmick of 'sancturys' for these elephants. 

 

It's just clever marketing, makes tourists believe they are doing some good because the word 'sanctury' is used, and they don't SEE the chains, and they aren't riding them. Reality is, no one knows what happens when the tourists go home if the elephants are treated well or not. 

 

 

[KhunLA]

6 hours ago, DonniePeverley said:

I've never believed for a minute in the marketting gimmick of 'sancturys' for these elephants. 

 

It's just clever marketing, makes tourists believe they are doing some good because the word 'sanctury' is used, and they don't SEE the chains, and they aren't riding them. Reality is, no one knows what happens when the tourists go home if the elephants are treated well or not. 

The real issue isn't that they are in a sanctuary, as if no riding allowed or interaction, then it's basically just a 'petting zoo', and if treated properly, no worse or better than any 'nice' zoo.   Which IMHO, none should exist for wild animals.

 

The issue is the treatment they endured as calves, to fear humans.   If not, you wouldn't be able to be near then, as a good possibility, they'd kill you, just like in the wild.

Edited April 14 by KhunLA

[transam]

11 hours ago, Excogitator said:

So you were serious... okay, whatever, enjoy songkran, alone and miserable, in your 5000b/month room, watching animal-abuse vids on youtube...

Where did the 5000bht a month room come from.....?  

Where did the watching animal abuse vids come from..? 

Where did the miserable and alone come from...?  

 

Sunbeam, I think you have a problem.........

[quake]

Wonder how many posters chow down on animals every day.

But get very vocal,  about elephants in captivity being used for entertainment.

And I also wonder how many poster go and kill there dinner now and again.

just so they have not forgot what they are doing.

 

Ah, breakfast beer time it's Sunday. 

 

[Patong2]

So you can't have elephant rides or play with them on the beach anymore?

So how is 500lb of daily feed goingb to be paid for?

 

What happens to the elephants here now?

Do you want to see "elephants steaks"on the menu boards?

 

Be careful what you wish for

[klauskunkel]

20 hours ago, george said:

Chief vet Taweepoke Angkawanish urges comprehensive care standards. He asserts that proper training, not abuse, is key to preserving these majestic creatures.

I call this BS. The key to preserving elephants is to preserve their natural habitats, then the elephants will preserve themselves just fine. "Proper training" is just an empty slogan to keep maintaining the status quo and to continue profiting, it will not benefit the elephants but only estrange them from the wild.

[quake]

Quote

Chief vet Taweepoke Angkawanish urges comprehensive care standards. He asserts that proper training, not abuse, is key to preserving these majestic creatures.

 

Yes, Some even get a Hat, Coat and a Nice bike.

Luxury.

 

Edited April 14 by quake

[KhunLA]

1 hour ago, Patong2 said:

So you can't have elephant rides or play with them on the beach anymore?

So how is 500lb of daily feed goingb to be paid for?

 

What happens to the elephants here now?

Do you want to see "elephants steaks"on the menu boards?

 

Be careful what you wish for

There's a Royal initiative that will take elephants and return them to the wild.   Been in operation since for quite some time, 1996, and released first elephant into the wild back in 1997.  Successful returning elephants to natural habitat, joining herds and being their social selves.    Those that don't adjust or not accepted in herds are taken care of.

 

You want to help, donate money to them, not the profit making prisons.  Stop believing the BS

Edited April 14 by KhunLA

[youreavinalaff]

2 hours ago, KhunLA said:

There's a Royal initiative that will take elephants and return them to the wild.   Been in operation since for quite some time, 1996, and released first elephant into the wild back in 1997.  Successful returning elephants to natural habitat, joining herds and being their social selves.    Those that don't adjust or not accepted in herds are taken care of.

 

You want to help, donate money to them, not the profit making prisons.  Stop believing the BS

"Return them to the wild".

 

Most, if not all, of the elephant at sanctuaries snd in the villages have never been in the wild. They were born where they are now.

[KhunLA]

1 minute ago, youreavinalaff said:

"Return them to the wild".

 

Most, if not all, of the elephant at sanctuaries snd in the villages have never been in the wild. They were born where they are now.

good point ...

... take them to the wild were they belong ... better 👍

[youreavinalaff]

4 minutes ago, KhunLA said:

good point ...

... take them to the wild were they belong ... better 👍

They would probably not

survive.

 

Especially when coming across wild elephants.

[KhunLA]

13 minutes ago, youreavinalaff said:

They would probably not

survive.

 

Especially when coming across wild elephants.

That's one of the BS things sanctuaries tell you, along with, 'they forget how to eat' 

[transam]

3 minutes ago, KhunLA said:

That's one of the BS things sanctuaries tell you, along with, 'they forget how to eat' 

Are you an elephant expert now, or a vet........?   🤔

[youreavinalaff]

6 minutes ago, KhunLA said:

That's one of the BS things sanctuaries tell you, along with, 'they forget how to eat' 

No, it isn't.

 

[hotchilli]

Elephant parks are just another way to attract tourist dollars... don't expect it to be stopped.

[Thingamabob]

On 4/13/2024 at 4:35 PM, transam said:

Most animals are born wild, man domesticates many to do jobs, those elephants at fun parks do not do any hard work, give rides and frolic in pools.

 

Did you forget before mechanisation elephants were trained to work, and work hard, in some countries they still do, yet you think giving rides and frolicking in pools is bad........😂

 

You don't know what you're talking about. The treatment captive elephants suffer in Thailand is appalling and desperately sad. 

[BritScot]

On 4/13/2024 at 1:51 PM, 2long said:

There's no such thing as a domesticated elephant. These naturally-wild animals are only able to serve humans after being broken.

I have been guilty of attending elephant shows in the past, but from now on I will have nothing to do with shows or working elephants. Like orang utans and Pata Zoo's gorilla, some creatures are beyond the point of being released into the wild, and 'sanctuary is the best that they can hope for.... but I still harbour mistrust in many ASEAN 'organisations' who claim to be santuaries.

I hope you hand 50% to wild life conservation?!? Because if working elephants and even tourist elephant then there would be an almighty cull or starvation of these majestic animals. Your support for the abolishment of big game hunting and ending all domestication of animals is noble but keep your money flowing. Maybe increase your donation to 75%. 

[BritScot]

It is a very hard subject because if the use of elephants were to end they would all require to be culled and owners compensated. It makes me so angry when ill-informed people spout vertu signalling rubbish not realising the consequences.  We had a similar some years ago in the UK when fox hunting was abolished. Fox is vermin and not a cuddly puppet. Fox hunting only removed the weak and infirm so all this action did was have thousands of hunting hounds put to sleep and also horses. Rural economy suffered as did the foxes which them had to be shot gassed etc and not all gamekeepes are marksmen. 

[Skeptic7]

It's not really any "secret", but rather most of the human animal just choose to look the other way. It's always...my entertainment...my child...my taste pleasure, etc...is far more important than the suffering of and cruelty to other-than-human animals. 

[transam]

1 hour ago, Thingamabob said:

You don't know what you're talking about. The treatment captive elephants suffer in Thailand is appalling and desperately sad. 

Tell me/us about "your" findings...........🤔

Tell us about the mistreatment of elephants at Dave's place.........🤔

[KhunLA]

22 minutes ago, Skeptic7 said:

It's not really any "secret", but rather most of the human animal just choose to look the other way. It's always...my entertainment...my child...my taste pleasure, etc...is far more important than the suffering of and cruelty to other-than-human animals. 

Yep ... got to have that selfie with the elephant.  Damn what the elephant had to go through.  

 

Knowing what they go through, I'd be embarrassed to show a selfie with an elephant, or any caged wild animal.

[2long]

2 hours ago, BritScot said:

I hope you hand 50% to wild life conservation?!? Because if working elephants and even tourist elephant then there would be an almighty cull or starvation of these majestic animals. Your support for the abolishment of big game hunting and ending all domestication of animals is noble but keep your money flowing. Maybe increase your donation to 75%. 

50% of what?

How do you know I support the abolishment of big game hunting (which I do)?

Fox hunting has nothing to do with vermin or weak individuals in the 21st century.

[transam]

On 4/14/2024 at 10:14 AM, klauskunkel said:

I call this BS. The key to preserving elephants is to preserve their natural habitats, then the elephants will preserve themselves just fine. "Proper training" is just an empty slogan to keep maintaining the status quo and to continue profiting, it will not benefit the elephants but only estrange them from the wild.

Someone will come along and shoot them........😏

 

Man has used animals since time began to help out, do the heavy work, tell me a country that hasn't.

Even us humans are trained to do jobs, some of those jobs involve endangering workers lives, too, but all part of our survival.

Elephant Parks, no heavy work, giving folk rides etc, perhaps 3 meals a day, in a safe environment....

Better than having their tusks on someone's wall.....

[BritScot]

23 hours ago, Skeptic7 said:

It's not really any "secret", but rather most of the human animal just choose to look the other way. It's always...my entertainment...my child...my taste pleasure, etc...is far more important than the suffering of and cruelty to other-than-human animals. 

What nonsense! Man and animals have a very symbiosis relationship, from dogs to horses. Example of benifits to the animal involved would be falconry where a captive falcon lives nearly twice as long as a wild falcon. The same can be said with horses as the damage 2 stallions do to each other sometimes involving death. Then there is the relationship: man and wolf/dog which has benefited both parties. Animals which are saved from extinction occurs from work carried out in reputable Zoo's around the world. Please stop the fantasy because it always results in the culling of thousands of animals. The results of over population of an animal type always results in the same death by slow starvation.