Thai animal welfare activist urges gradual phase-out of elephant rides

Thai animal welfare activist urges gradual phase-out of elephant rides

Walk with elephants - an alternative to elephant rides at Elephant Nature Park in Chiang Mai. Photo courtesy of Elephant Nature Park.

BANGKOK: -- A growing number of European travel agencies have decided to exclude elephant rides from their package tour itineraries based on reports of widespread animal abuse. But one of Thailand’s leading campaigners for elephant welfare argued that such move could do more harm than good to thousands of domesticated elephants already in the tourism industry.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/798118-thai-animal-welfare-activist-urges-phase-out-of-elephant-rides/