Saturday, 17 August 2013 - 07:11
Step Away From Elephants
That is a slogan currently being campaigned by The World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA) to stop elephant back riding.
Timo Sippala/Wikimedia
Maartje Maas, the campaign leader, stated,” Everyone loves elephants, because they look so cute. What the tourists do not know is the harm precedes elephant back riding. In order to catch a baby elephant, the protecting mother and aunts of the baby need to be slain. Once caught, the trainer will starve and hit the baby elephants to make them obey the trainer.” Furthermore, Maas, the Communication Officer of WSPA based in the Netherlands, said that elephant’s back is very tender and not meant to be ridden on.
Considered as not friendly for the cute looking animal, fifteen travel organizations no longer offer elephant back riding. However, the WSPA allows animal-friendly alternatives, such as jeep tours and elephants shelters visit.