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Ivy M
Bay Area, CA
- Sent letter to Editors at Lonely Planet Asia-Pacific (Lonely Planet Publications)
- Feb 04
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Destiny Sherry
McCaysville, GA
- Sent letter to Editors at Lonely Planet Asia-Pacific (Lonely Planet Publications)
- Jan 30
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Caitlin Schmedlin
Monroe, CT
- Sent letter to Editors at Lonely Planet Asia-Pacific (Lonely Planet Publications)
- Jan 30
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Dean Leh
Albuquerque, NM
- Sent letter to Editors at Lonely Planet Asia-Pacific (Lonely Planet Publications)
- Jan 30
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Lyndsey Price
Yonkers, NY
- Sent letter to Editors at Lonely Planet Asia-Pacific (Lonely Planet Publications)
- Jan 27
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Nadezhda Peneva
Alicante, Spain
- Sent letter to Editors at Lonely Planet Asia-Pacific (Lonely Planet Publications)
- Jan 26
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Candy LeBlanc
Sacramento, CA
- Sent letter to Editors at Lonely Planet Asia-Pacific (Lonely Planet Publications)
- Jan 26
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Karen Anderson Animal Communicator
Elk, WA
- Sent letter to Editors at Lonely Planet Asia-Pacific (Lonely Planet Publications)
- Jan 25
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Mrs M
- -, NY
- Sent letter to Editors at Lonely Planet Asia-Pacific (Lonely Planet Publications)
- Jan 25
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Jaime Cammarata
Philadelphia, PA
- Sent letter to Editors at Lonely Planet Asia-Pacific (Lonely Planet Publications)
- Jan 22
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Stop Lifelong Elephant Abuse in Thailand: Use Your Voice for Those Who Cannot
With elephant logging now illegal in Thailand, many owners look to the tourism industry for income. There are over 2000 working elephants in Thailand now with tour treks, as street beggars or performing in elephant circus shows. While it is fun and exciting to see an elephant up close, feed her bananas, or walk through the jungle on her back, reality is much different.
Before all elephants work they must first endure a horrific torture called a phaajaan in order to break their bodies and minds into submission and listen to their owner. During a phaajaan, elephants are confined and tied in a wooden cage and using sharp metal hooks on ends of sticks, people swing full blows at the elephant's whole body, especially their inner ear, one of the most sensitive parts of their body, for several days straight. The bloody screams and terrified expressions of the elephant go unrecognized.
Every single working elephant has gone through this horrific ordeal. The torture doesn't stop there; they are overworked, suffering broken backs, water poisoning from dirty city water, starvation, broken legs from falling from tiny platforms (in shows), the list goes on...
Only through awareness and education will the demand for these industries stop the need for working elephants. The Lonely Planet Guides are printed in 8 languages and are the most popular traveler's guide. This petition demands the addition of the dark side to elephants in the tourism industry in the company's books so that travelers may make conscious decisions before supporting this cruel abuse. While there are other important issues concerning alternative means of income for owners, a strong support base is a fundamental tool to begin the process.
Now your awareness of the issue and support for this petition will be one step in the right direction to save these naturally-intelligent creatures from their torturous, empty lives.
Please use your voice for those who cannot.
If you want additional information about alternatives for these elephants and their owners, Elephant Nature Park in Chiang Mai (http://www.elephantnaturefoundation.org/) is a sanctuary using positive re-enforcement when working with tourists. They are also restoring over 100 acres of jungle directly adjacent to a large national forest for eventual reintroduction.
Petition Text
Acknowledge the Lifelong Abuse of Working Elephants in Thailand
Dear Editors at Lonely Planet Publications,
[Your name]
