Support World Elephant Day – Trip Advisor Appeal

As passionate travellers and a team who love to experience all the cultures the world has to offer our staff appreciate that people want to take savour memories of their travels with photos with animals. Unfortunately all too often these animals are kept in very poor conditions and there’s a high level of cruelty around tourism and some of worlds largest corporations are taking advantage and raking in huge profits.

We want to see this stopped and think these companies should consider the effects of their actions.

News Release:

Over half a million people demand TripAdvisor to stop profiting from the world’s cruellest wildlife attractions

The appalling cruelty inflicted on Indian elephants to meet growing demands from the tourism industry for elephant rides and shows has now got the attention of the Indian government – who might shortly take a huge step to end elephant rides in popular tourist destinations in Goa and Rajasthan this year.

Most tourists go on elephant rides because they love elephants. They don’t know about the intense physical and psychological pain involved. Baby elephants are cruelly taken from their mothers, and beaten into submission to give rides and perform tricks for tourists. They endure horrendous captive conditions for decades. This includes chaining and close confinement, loneliness and isolation from other elephants – with whom they would naturally form bonds – and deprivation of food and water.

World Animal Protection continues to expose the abuse being inflicted on hundreds of these magnificent animals in India and highlight how tourists and travel companies such as TripAdvisor can stop tourist rides in their tracks before it’s too late.

If left unchecked thousands of elephants in India and across the world will face lifetimes of cruelty and abuse for tourist entertainment. The once in a lifetime opportunity of riding an elephant can mean a lifetime of misery for it – if you can ride it, hug it or have a selfie with it, the chances are it’s cruel for the wild animals, so don’t do it.

The welfare concerns at Amber Fort:
· Elephants used for entertainment in their early years suffer an extremely cruel and intensive breaking-in process. This is done so they can be used to perform and be ridden for tourist entertainment. This process involves severe restraining with ropes or chains and the elephant can only move when commanded. Severe pain is often inflicted with pointed metal bull hooks, wooden battens, and whips.

· 90% of elephants at Amber Fort had one or more problems with their foot pad, abscesses on their eyes and severe wounds from the seat on their back.

· The elephants are not fed properly with a natural diet. Instead they are given chapatti (roasted bread made of wheat) and sugar cane– too much of this is bad for them.

· 68% of elephants were reported to have insufficient or non-existent provision for water.

Day in the life of an elephant at Amber Fort:
· Elephants used for rides are chained up in small stables, by trees or in private houses.

· There’s no possibility for the elephants – highly intelligent and social animals – to interact with other elephants. They are kept in confinement and there is no prospect of free movement after a gruelling day of carrying tourists on their backs.

· Elephants are taken out in the mornings to offer rides to tourists and their first port of call is to descend through chaotic road traffic in Jaipur.

· They are equipped with riding benches on their backs and adorned with garments, blankets and head covers in extreme heat.

· Once tourists are on their backs, elephants make an exhausting walk up a steep hill to the Amber Fort palace.

· Also accompanying the elephant is a mahout, sat on the elephant’s neck, guiding it with a bull hook and ready to beat it at the top of its head to direct the elephant.

Support the cause, sign the petition and get more information here

www.worldanimalprotection.org
www.instagram.com/world_animal_protection