People planning a holiday to Asia might dream of riding elephants through pristine jungles. Little do they know this seemingly harmless experience results in a lifetime of abuse for the gentle giants, who are kept in cruel conditions so we can get a few selfies with them.
“Phajaan’, which literally means “to crush,” is the harmful training method which elephants undergo to become a part of the tourism industry. Young elephants are stolen from their mothers and forced to endure intense physical and mental torture. They are confined to small spaces and deprived of food coercing them into submission.
Once they’ve endured this horrific abuse, things only get worse. Carrying heavy loads of people on their back, day after day, can affect the elephants’ spines, leading to permanent injuries.
Many travel firms and websites have already stopped promoting elephant rides to help reduce this cruel practice. As a top tourism company, it falls on TripAdvisor to stand up for these majestic creatures. TripAdvisor must stop profiting off elephants pain. Instead, they should lead the way in promoting sustainable elephant-friendly tourism.
Elephants are such beautiful creatures. They are a lot like humans. They socialise, have families and experience a wide range of emotions including pain and sorrow. They are loving, compassionate and deserve happiness.
Please join me in calling on TripAdvisor to immediately remove all elephant riding ads from their website.
