Where do I stand on the ethics scale?

Months ago as I was scanning through the tour groups eager for my business and trying to find where I wanted to go, I saw several links accusing these types of attractions to be unethical and cruel. At first I disregarded as typical PETA fanatics, after all, we visit zoos and ride horses right? But just to be safe I narrowed my search to groups that had information or reviews on the condition of the animals and how they were treated after the tours ended. I found a company that said the elephants were released to roam free on a preserve after hours. Now I can feel good about my choice – right?

Wrong. Even if you visit one of these places that you think are ethical, it is still supporting a deeper issue. I spent several days researching, trying to decide where I stand on the ethics scale. I am obviously passionate about animal rights since I volunteer with animal rescue, I don’t support Sea World or wear real fur. On the other hand I eat meat, visit zoos and don’t pay attention if products were tested on animals. I also fully believe in dog training tools such as e-collars (when they are used professionally) which are considered controversial by many. 

What Goes On

In Thailand, elephants are considered an endangered species and protected from hunting and domestication under the Wildlife Protection Act. So how do the companies get these guys for our rides through the jungle? Since elephant tourism is in such high demand, they are smuggled from less regulated countries into Thailand and considered “domesticated” and therefore unprotected. The easiest to train are the babies. In order to get one from the protective heard, about five elephants are killed so that the baby can be captured. Then they are tied up, starved and beaten so that they associate disobedience with pain before being chained to an already domesticated female. As adults they provide rides to tourists and face blisters and spinal damage from the benches on their back, in addition to getting punished for moving too slow. 

What I Decided for Me

So now I know that even if my tour company has the elephants roam free at night, what it took to get them there is NOT something I want to support. Furthermore, supporting any attractions like these just makes the industry more profitable and intriguing to “investors”. So I am adjusting the vision of my bucket list item. I am now researching wild life sanctuaries and volunteer opportunities. Many places have you walk, bathe and feed elephants so you still get that interaction, and some allow you to ride bareback, putting less stress on the spine. I may not be able to interact with the baby elephant as I had dreamed, but I know that if a place advertises interactions with babies, they probably didn’t obtain him in an ethical way. It is so important to do research and make up your own mind about issues, and also be responsible about what you are consciously or unconsciously supporting.

Making it Happen

Some of the places I researched that I really like were Elephant Nature Park and WFFT which have experiences where you can spend the day working with the elephants. The problem I ran into in researching places to volunteer is that they are mostly located 8 hours outside of Bangkok, making it impossible to fit in my travel plans. The second thing I ran into was that in order to make a reservation, multiple places demanded my hotel room number. Being a solo female traveler, this does not make me feel comfortable. I emailed the hotel and they said that it seemed odd to them as well. So in short, I am still trying to find an activity that I am comfortable with, while giving me the experience I crave. My point is:

Do your own research to find out what you are really supporting, and if that is something you are ok with. 

There are lots of resources out there to help you determine if an elephant attraction is ethical or not. Here are some photos I found which represent the types of places to stay away from:

Elephants forced to perform tricks

 Benches on their backs, pressuring their spines (and hindering development for those under 8 years old)

 Chains

I also found a list of criteria that can help you plan your visit from One Green Planet