Guinness Records Drops Elephant Polo Statistics

[webfact]

Guinness Records drops elephant polo statistics

LONDON, January 24, 2011 (AFP) - Guinness World Records said Monday it had decided to remove all references to elephant polo, following complaints from animal-rights campaigners.

The London-based global authority on records said the move brought its policy into line with other records that are potentially harmful to animals.

"Guinness World Records does not recognise any records relating to elephant polo," the group said in a statement.

"The decision to rest these records was based on expert counsel which advised that the activities related to elephant polo could be potentially harmful to the animals.

"This decision is in line with our policy not to accept or recognise any records based on the killing or harming of animals, this includes fox hunting and bull fighting."

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, which has lobbied Guinness over the issue, said it had been informed of the move in a letter from Craig Glenday, the Guinness Book's editor-in-chief.

A PETA spokeswoman told AFP that the decision "reflects the public consensus that the archaic use of live animals for human entertainment should remain in the pages of record book history".

"Elephants used in polo are often beaten with sticks and gouged with heavy rods with sharp metal tips," she said.

"Elephants exploited for polo matches are likely unweaned when they are taken from their mothers to be broken and made to fear repercussions if they do not behave as required.

"They are subjected to a life of chronic physical ailments, social and emotional deprivation and premature death."

A form of polo played with elephants instead of horses is popular in India and Thailand.

The records Guinness previously held relating to elephant polo were for the most wins in elephant polo world championships and for the world championships with the heaviest contestants.

The records were dropped in October last year.

-- (c) Copyright AFP 2011-01-25

[Buchholz]

A PETA spokeswoman told AFP that the decision "reflects the public consensus that the archaic use of live animals for human entertainment should remain in the pages of record book history"

However, it's ok for other polo forms, because, while elephants are "live animals", horses are not...

The most durable polo player is Pablo Moreno Wilson (Chile) (b. 15 October 1924), who has been playing polo regularly for over 62 years.

Guinness World Records

[StrandedBusinessPerson]

I think this was a grand move by Guinness, even if a token gesture. And as for horses vs. elephants, the treatment the two receive is vastly different for this sport. Elephants have the unique problem that they are more then likely owned by people who don't know how to care for domesticated or wild animals, or don't have the financial means to do them justice. I am sure the stables owned by Pablo Wilson operate much differently then any elephant polo stable. The ones here in Nepal are a disgrace.

www.animalnepal.org

A PETA spokeswoman told AFP that the decision "reflects the public consensus that the archaic use of live animals for human entertainment should remain in the pages of record book history"

However, it's ok for other polo forms, because, while elephants are "live animals", horses are not...

The most durable polo player is Pablo Moreno Wilson (Chile) (b. 15 October 1924), who has been playing polo regularly for over 62 years.

Guinness World Records

[zthyadat]

I have covered the elephant polo story a couple of times for various publications and these guys don't have all their facts straight. They obviously don;t understand elephants or their situation in Thailand either. At the elephant polo in Thailand, they don't have a "stable" of elephants, because the game, in spite of what AFP (and some PETA woman who appears to know nothing about it) may say, is not "popular", it is played for charity once a year. (In Nepal they might play more frequently, so can't speak for that). The charity is an elephant sanctuary up north (and a legit one) run by an offshoot of the Anantara resort, owned by one of Bill Heinecke's companies.

The elephants they use are the ones that are already wandering about with bugger all to do. They don;t steal them from their mothers to make them play polo. The spikes that they use don't torture the elephant, they don't even penetrate the skin. When they play polo, they are hardly forced to do so. They love it and it is evident when you watch a match. They go tearing after the ball without their mahout even having to prompt them. Elephants are social, and love group activities - they are also very intelligent, and the younger ones sometimes pick up the ball and throw it into the net with their trunks (these goals don't count) so they understand the object of the game. If they didn't want to play the game, it would be extremely difficult to get them to do so. They only play for ten minutes and then the

It is not cruel - at least not in Thailand - and then they change elephants for the next chukka. The elephants who were playing are hosed down, given water to drink and fed rice balls with molasses.

It is just a typical wire story, gathered together by telephone by someone who hasn't witnessed any of it first hand, and depends only on a PETA spokesperson and the folks from Guinness. They didn't bother to contact the elephant polo association to get their side of it, so it is unbalanced conjecture.

I think this was a grand move by Guinness, even if a token gesture. And as for horses vs. elephants, the treatment the two receive is vastly different for this sport. Elephants have the unique problem that they are more then likely owned by people who don't know how to care for domesticated or wild animals, or don't have the financial means to do them justice. I am sure the stables owned by Pablo Wilson operate much differently then any elephant polo stable. The ones here in Nepal are a disgrace.

www.animalnepal.org

A PETA spokeswoman told AFP that the decision "reflects the public consensus that the archaic use of live animals for human entertainment should remain in the pages of record book history"

However, it's ok for other polo forms, because, while elephants are "live animals", horses are not...

The most durable polo player is Pablo Moreno Wilson (Chile) (b. 15 October 1924), who has been playing polo regularly for over 62 years.

Guinness World Records

[Buchholz]

I'm eagerly awaiting for the elephant water polo matches.

[MILT]

I am so tired of PETA and their uneducated attacks on anything to do with elephants other than taking photos. I have worked with elephants for the past 17years in Thailand. People need to use their own common sense. Try forcing a elephant to do anything that it does not want to do, not very good outcome. I have heard the same stories about elephants painting. To be honest I have never seen a Mahout force ween a young elephant. The Thai elephant has been domesticated for how long now? Peta needs to get a life like try help protecting circus Fleas.

I have covered the elephant polo story a couple of times for various publications and these guys don't have all their facts straight. They obviously don;t understand elephants or their situation in Thailand either. At the elephant polo in Thailand, they don't have a "stable" of elephants, because the game, in spite of what AFP (and some PETA woman who appears to know nothing about it) may say, is not "popular", it is played for charity once a year. (In Nepal they might play more frequently, so can't speak for that). The charity is an elephant sanctuary up north (and a legit one) run by an offshoot of the Anantara resort, owned by one of Bill Heinecke's companies.

The elephants they use are the ones that are already wandering about with bugger all to do. They don;t steal them from their mothers to make them play polo. The spikes that they use don't torture the elephant, they don't even penetrate the skin. When they play polo, they are hardly forced to do so. They love it and it is evident when you watch a match. They go tearing after the ball without their mahout even having to prompt them. Elephants are social, and love group activities - they are also very intelligent, and the younger ones sometimes pick up the ball and throw it into the net with their trunks (these goals don't count) so they understand the object of the game. If they didn't want to play the game, it would be extremely difficult to get them to do so. They only play for ten minutes and then the

It is not cruel - at least not in Thailand - and then they change elephants for the next chukka. The elephants who were playing are hosed down, given water to drink and fed rice balls with molasses.

It is just a typical wire story, gathered together by telephone by someone who hasn't witnessed any of it first hand, and depends only on a PETA spokesperson and the folks from Guinness. They didn't bother to contact the elephant polo association to get their side of it, so it is unbalanced conjecture.

I think this was a grand move by Guinness, even if a token gesture. And as for horses vs. elephants, the treatment the two receive is vastly different for this sport. Elephants have the unique problem that they are more then likely owned by people who don't know how to care for domesticated or wild animals, or don't have the financial means to do them justice. I am sure the stables owned by Pablo Wilson operate much differently then any elephant polo stable. The ones here in Nepal are a disgrace.

www.animalnepal.org

A PETA spokeswoman told AFP that the decision "reflects the public consensus that the archaic use of live animals for human entertainment should remain in the pages of record book history"

However, it's ok for other polo forms, because, while elephants are "live animals", horses are not...

The most durable polo player is Pablo Moreno Wilson (Chile) (b. 15 October 1924), who has been playing polo regularly for over 62 years.

Guinness World Records