Over 100 travel companies urge to stop elephant rides
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As elephant rides are the main Asian tourism attraction, travel companies join efforts to stop the abuse inflicted on the animals
114 major companies decided to put an end to Asian jumbo rides, as the training for this kind of entertainment is often brutal and cruel for the elephants. The training, also known as “the crush”, often involves atrocious pain, starvation and chains, damaging the animals' physical and psychological wellbeing.
Following a World Animal Protection initiative, big popular names in the travel industry have committed not to sell holidays that include animal attractions. Among them, The Travel Corporation, Thomas Cook Northern Europe, Intrepid Travel Group, Contiki, Kuoni Travel UK, Trafalgar and Jetair have engaged to put a stop to packages including animal rides.
More companies are expected to join the project and make animal-cruelty less accessible to tourists world-wide. “We call upon these businesses to follow the great example of those who have made commitments and offer only elephant-friendly excursion, in which customers can experience the elephant in a natural environment without having to perform or interact with people,” quotes the World Animal Protection official statement.
“We want to see this cruelty stop – but we also need to think about what happens to the elephants already captive at these places, and what the future might hold for them. That’s why we are working hard to find tour operators who are prepared to go the extra mile and invest in transforming existing elephant camps into humane, safe sanctuaries – places where the animals are free to live and behave as naturally as possible, if they can’t be released back into the wild,” the WAP statement concluded.
114 major companies decided to put an end to Asian jumbo rides, as the training for this kind of entertainment is often brutal and cruel for the elephants. The training, also known as “the crush”, often involves atrocious pain, starvation and chains, damaging the animals' physical and psychological wellbeing.
Following a World Animal Protection initiative, big popular names in the travel industry have committed not to sell holidays that include animal attractions. Among them, The Travel Corporation, Thomas Cook Northern Europe, Intrepid Travel Group, Contiki, Kuoni Travel UK, Trafalgar and Jetair have engaged to put a stop to packages including animal rides.
More companies are expected to join the project and make animal-cruelty less accessible to tourists world-wide. “We call upon these businesses to follow the great example of those who have made commitments and offer only elephant-friendly excursion, in which customers can experience the elephant in a natural environment without having to perform or interact with people,” quotes the World Animal Protection official statement.
“We want to see this cruelty stop – but we also need to think about what happens to the elephants already captive at these places, and what the future might hold for them. That’s why we are working hard to find tour operators who are prepared to go the extra mile and invest in transforming existing elephant camps into humane, safe sanctuaries – places where the animals are free to live and behave as naturally as possible, if they can’t be released back into the wild,” the WAP statement concluded.
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