Deployed for Trekking with Up to 6 People at Once
Animal Protection Group: "Elephants Are Unsuitable for Carrying People"
A photo of an elephant with a deformed spine after carrying tourists for over 20 years in Thailand has been released, reigniting animal abuse controversies surrounding the popular Thai tourist attraction known as 'elephant trekking.'
On the 10th (local time), the US-based CNN published an article titled "What years of tourist rides have done to this elephant," revealing the image of a 71-year-old female elephant named 'Pairin,' who was used for elephant trekking tours in Thailand for 25 years. In the photo provided by the Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand (WFFT), Pairin's back appears abnormally deformed and sagging.
Pairin has been under the protection of this foundation since 2006. After carrying up to six tourists at a time for over 20 years, Pairin became too slow and her condition worsened to the point where she could no longer carry tourists, leading her owner to abandon her.
The image of 'Phailin,' a Thai elephant whose spine has been bent from carrying tourists for 25 years. [Photo by Yonhap News]
WFFT explained, "There are still scars on Pairin's back caused by prolonged pressure," adding, "Continuous pressure adversely affects the elephant's back tissues and bones, causing irreversible physical damage to the spine."
Elephant riding experiences are popular tourist attractions in Thailand and other Southeast Asian countries, but animal protection groups fiercely criticize them as animal abuse. Elephants are not animals bred to be ridden like horses, and their body structure is not suitable for carrying heavy loads.
Thai Media Nation Also Points Out Insufficient Animal Protection in the Country
Regarding CNN's report, on the 12th, the Thai media outlet Nation reported, "US CNN published an article highlighting the dark side of elephant trekking tourism in Thailand."
In this article, Nation pointed out, "Thailand enacted the Animal Cruelty Prevention and Animal Welfare Act in 2014, but the country's animal protection index still remains at a D grade."
The Global Animal Protection Index, calculated by World Animal Protection (WAP), is graded from A to G. Grade A is the highest, and G is the lowest. South Korea shares a D grade with Thailand. Japan and China are rated E, while neighboring countries Myanmar and Vietnam are rated F. Countries with an A grade include Switzerland, the United Kingdom, Austria, and New Zealand.
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