Good to see you guys had such a great time and all, but honestly by riding elephants you're actually supporting one of the most inhumane and cruel practices in the wildlife tourism industry.
A wild elephant would never let you ride on their back, which is why these intelligent, sentient, and emotional creatures have to be "tamed" when they are babies. Maybe you weren't aware of this, or were told otherwise by your guide, but most of the elephants used for tourism are taken from the wild and trafficked into Thailand. Usually their family is killed right in front of their eyes, which obviously is a very traumatic experience for them as they have the ability to mourn other dead peers and have an incredible memory. Most orphaned baby elephants (due to poaching for example as well) end up dying from depression (they stop eating and starve themselves to death) even if they get taken to a sanctuary, but these elephants that are trafficked for tourism suffer an even worse fate.
When the "taming process" called phajaan begins, also known as "the crush", the baby elephants are put in a small confined space, usually a cage or a hole in the ground and are tortured until their spirit is broken - usually by being beaten by clubs, pricked with hooks and deprived of sleep and food for many days until finally, after days, or sometimes even weeks until they are completely submissive to their trainers. Through the use of negative reinforcement, the elephants can then be "trained" to do anything, take tourists on rides, perform at shows by painting or doing other acts. This really isn't the training or domestication of an animal, but the enslavement of one of the smartest animals in the animal kingdom.
Luckily people are starting to act out against this, and there are more and more sanctuaries popping up catering to elephants that have been rescued from this lucrative tourist trade. Unfortunately, even once they have been rescued, most of them are psychologically damaged for life, and have no understanding of what it means to play, relax or even socialise with their peers, and it takes a lot of time and effort to try and rehabilitate them.
I don't mean to chastise you for your actions, what's done is done and maybe you simply didn't know. But now that you know a bit more about this, I hope that with your influence you are able to spread awareness about this horrible practice rather than promoting it and encouraging people to try it out themselves. Also next time you visit Asia and want to experience interacting with elephants, I highly recommend that you seek out a reputable sanctuary where you can rest assure that they are being treated well and with respect, and admire these majestic creatures from afar.
If you're interested in reading more about this, there are plenty of articles and videos out there which touch on this topic. I hope they're not too graphic for you, but unfortunately this is the hidden reality.
Hey guys! thank you so much for the message, that video is heartbreaking :((( i honestly didnt know thats what happens, and it sounds really awful! I love animals, they looked happy at this farm and the guide said they are treated well. We will never ride on them again, it was an experience, more like something that was sold at the agency! but this story is making me feel really sad! thank you for informing us! perhaps we will do a video again when we are in thailand and tell everyone not to go on the rides!!I think Ivar has second part to this video but im not sure!
As I said, totally understandable, obviously tour guides and agencies will push you to do whatever that will make them money - unfortunately that is that sad truth of how this world works. But, by raising awareness about the hidden side about this industry, hopefully this practice will no longer exist in the near future. Change can only be achieved through education and awareness and so by spreading this message, people will know not to support this industry by funding it and taking part in it!
I won't lie, when I was about 3/4 years old, I rode an elephant in a zoo in Singapore. Of course, I was so young I had no idea back then, and I think there wasn't as much talk about this even, but I feel like times are changing, and people are paying more attention to these sorts of issues. Although the past cannot be changed, the future can be!
It's quite funny actually, I was literally chatting to @ingaaa at the Crypto Fair about the Bahamas and those infamous pigs on the beach and how it seemed so cool to visit, and she was also telling me about the dark truth about how they are brought there for tourism and left to burn and suffer in the scorching heat, and end up also suffering a horrible demise. Understandably, that put me off wanting to hang out with those poor piggies on the beach as I would never want to be entertained at the suffering of another fellow earth dweller.
Another example that just popped into my mind now is swimming with whale sharks in the Philippines - I really wanted to do it, but after reading some questionable things about those tours, I changed my mind and decided to just hope I'll encounter one one day in the wild while scuba diving!
I guess that made me think to do research before engaging in any travel experience which involves animals to make sure that they are properly treated and that you're not paying for their suffering. Especially as content creators, when our content has the power to influence people's holiday plans!
Good to see you guys had such a great time and all, but honestly by riding elephants you're actually supporting one of the most inhumane and cruel practices in the wildlife tourism industry.
A wild elephant would never let you ride on their back, which is why these intelligent, sentient, and emotional creatures have to be "tamed" when they are babies. Maybe you weren't aware of this, or were told otherwise by your guide, but most of the elephants used for tourism are taken from the wild and trafficked into Thailand. Usually their family is killed right in front of their eyes, which obviously is a very traumatic experience for them as they have the ability to mourn other dead peers and have an incredible memory. Most orphaned baby elephants (due to poaching for example as well) end up dying from depression (they stop eating and starve themselves to death) even if they get taken to a sanctuary, but these elephants that are trafficked for tourism suffer an even worse fate.
When the "taming process" called phajaan begins, also known as "the crush", the baby elephants are put in a small confined space, usually a cage or a hole in the ground and are tortured until their spirit is broken - usually by being beaten by clubs, pricked with hooks and deprived of sleep and food for many days until finally, after days, or sometimes even weeks until they are completely submissive to their trainers. Through the use of negative reinforcement, the elephants can then be "trained" to do anything, take tourists on rides, perform at shows by painting or doing other acts. This really isn't the training or domestication of an animal, but the enslavement of one of the smartest animals in the animal kingdom.
Luckily people are starting to act out against this, and there are more and more sanctuaries popping up catering to elephants that have been rescued from this lucrative tourist trade. Unfortunately, even once they have been rescued, most of them are psychologically damaged for life, and have no understanding of what it means to play, relax or even socialise with their peers, and it takes a lot of time and effort to try and rehabilitate them.
I don't mean to chastise you for your actions, what's done is done and maybe you simply didn't know. But now that you know a bit more about this, I hope that with your influence you are able to spread awareness about this horrible practice rather than promoting it and encouraging people to try it out themselves. Also next time you visit Asia and want to experience interacting with elephants, I highly recommend that you seek out a reputable sanctuary where you can rest assure that they are being treated well and with respect, and admire these majestic creatures from afar.
If you're interested in reading more about this, there are plenty of articles and videos out there which touch on this topic. I hope they're not too graphic for you, but unfortunately this is the hidden reality.
Hey guys! thank you so much for the message, that video is heartbreaking :((( i honestly didnt know thats what happens, and it sounds really awful! I love animals, they looked happy at this farm and the guide said they are treated well. We will never ride on them again, it was an experience, more like something that was sold at the agency! but this story is making me feel really sad! thank you for informing us! perhaps we will do a video again when we are in thailand and tell everyone not to go on the rides!!I think Ivar has second part to this video but im not sure!
As I said, totally understandable, obviously tour guides and agencies will push you to do whatever that will make them money - unfortunately that is that sad truth of how this world works. But, by raising awareness about the hidden side about this industry, hopefully this practice will no longer exist in the near future. Change can only be achieved through education and awareness and so by spreading this message, people will know not to support this industry by funding it and taking part in it!
I won't lie, when I was about 3/4 years old, I rode an elephant in a zoo in Singapore. Of course, I was so young I had no idea back then, and I think there wasn't as much talk about this even, but I feel like times are changing, and people are paying more attention to these sorts of issues. Although the past cannot be changed, the future can be!
It's quite funny actually, I was literally chatting to @ingaaa at the Crypto Fair about the Bahamas and those infamous pigs on the beach and how it seemed so cool to visit, and she was also telling me about the dark truth about how they are brought there for tourism and left to burn and suffer in the scorching heat, and end up also suffering a horrible demise. Understandably, that put me off wanting to hang out with those poor piggies on the beach as I would never want to be entertained at the suffering of another fellow earth dweller.
Another example that just popped into my mind now is swimming with whale sharks in the Philippines - I really wanted to do it, but after reading some questionable things about those tours, I changed my mind and decided to just hope I'll encounter one one day in the wild while scuba diving!
I guess that made me think to do research before engaging in any travel experience which involves animals to make sure that they are properly treated and that you're not paying for their suffering. Especially as content creators, when our content has the power to influence people's holiday plans!
this is a very romantic couple everywhere happy and romantic always
aww thanks!
Hi bearandbee,
That looks fun. Were you ever afraid of the elephants before getting on them to ride?
They look very tame.
yeah it was a bit scary im not gonna lie, but we will prob never do that again!
Wow amazing your traveling....I appreciate your post. where are you going?
Thanks a lot for sharing.....
Oh dang, i would be freaking out lol Nice video guys