Why you should not ride on an elephant's back

Elephants are surely one of the world’s most breath-taking animals. People all over the world go out of their way to get an opportunity to climb on an elephant’s back and go for a walk. What they do not realize, however, is the cruelty that animal is experiencing. Here’s how you can help elephants.

According to Petauk, an elephant must be psychologically broken to allow people to climb on its back. The first cruel act against an elephant in his life cycle is to take him away from his mother. Elephant mothers and their young have a strong bond. The little thing spends years on his mother’s side. However, people who use elephants as a tourist attraction break the heart of the mother and baby when they are separated.

Cruel training so that people can climb on an elephants back

Elephants are taught to be afraid of their trainers. This is done so that they will allow tourists to climb on their backs. The training starts from a young age. The elephant will be beaten and also tortured with bull hooks. A bull hook is a weapon with a sharp hook on one side. This teaches the elephant to be obedient to the trainer and thus avoids the elephant pain.

A life of fear

This training and handling causes a life of stress and fear for the elephant. Researchers have found that elephants endured training, suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder.

Life with a tourist on your back

These elephants have no chance of a happy life. Elephants in the wild move together in groups. They travel miles a day and play and bathe in rivers. However, an elephant forced into the tourism industry does not have any of these benefits. They can not come into contact with other elephants. They are forced to carry tourists on their backs and perform painful tricks.
Furthermore, these elephants also spend a lot of time on hard ground, which damages their feet and leads to arthritis. They have no access to enough water, the right food or medical care. Elephants are also tied with chains around their feet.

Most elephants in captivity die faster than their natural life expectancy. Sambo, an elephant forced to carry tourists in Cambodia, has died after suffering a heart attack. Dumbo, a baby elephant, died in Thailand after breaking her hind legs.

People also die because they climb on an Elephant’s back

Mbanje, the elephant in the photo below had been captured. He killed his handler and crushed him after being forced to give rides earlier in the day. Numerous cases have also taken place where an elephant can no longer endure the cruelty. In Thailand, an elephant threw two people off its back. One broke his leg.

Real safe havens will not allow you to ride on an elephant’s back

Safe harbors for elephants that still allow the rides are usually a joke. Many businesses offer a safe haven for elephants, but still allow tourists on their backs. Many of these animals were not rescued as the harbors pretended to be. They are still undergoing the same cruel training.

Do you like riding on an elephants back?

Anyone who pays to ride an elephant or book an outing with elephants in captivity is responsible for this relentless cycle of abuse. To make a significant difference in the lives of these animals, we must act to stop their suffering.

Never ride an elephant or any other animal. If you are booking a trip abroad, ask your tour operator and hotel if they promote such activities. If so, explain why they should stop.

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