Koronapandemien has put a damper on life in the whole world, but for the 78 elephants in Northern Thailand, there is good news.
the flow of Tourists to Northern Thailand has stalled as a result of the covid-19-outbreak. The british newspaper The Independent writes that elefantparker around the country are forced to close the doors.
In the Masea elefantpark in the province of Chiang Mai, in Northern Thailand, the elephants worked as ridedyr for the tourists in 44 years.
because of the uncertain future for the tourism sector in the country, the park has now removed the heavy wood – and metallsetene on elefantenes back for good.
พี่พลายอ๊อด พาน้องๆอีกสามเชือกมาอาบน้ำ ใครอยากดูแบบใกล้ๆ มาดูได้ที่ #ปางช้างแม่สา นะคะ ??❤️❤️
Published by the Maesa Elephant Camp ปางช้างแม่สา Thursday 28. november 2019
A BETTER LIFE IN store: the Elephants at the Masea elefantpark in the North of Thailand might get a quieter life now that they no longer have to work as ridedyr for tourists.
Ancahalee Kalampichit, the owner of the elefantleieren, decided to close the park earlier in march because the number of visitors dropped from several hundred every day to under 20 after the pandemic broke out, she recalled to CNN.
the Time to come she will spend on upgrading the park.
– Not possible to ride on the elephants again
After pressure from dyreaktivister, specific Kalampichit themselves already in the last year to make changes in the park that the animals would have a happier life.
When the Masea elefantpark open for visitors again, they’re not going to offer elephant rides.
CONTESTED: Elefantturisme is an important industry in Thailand, but because of the concern for animal welfare, select more tourists and travel agencies to drop the elephant ride.
Photo: Chaiwat Subprasom / Reuters
instead, the 78 elephants get to roam freely, and visitors must observe them in their natural environment.
Snabeldyrene shall not have to entertain tourists with tricks.
We want to omlegge the park so that tourists can come here to learn about elefantenes life and experience them at a distance, ” says Kalampichit to CNN.
in That case the first time in 44 years that these gentle giants do not carry the heavy treseter on the back.
According to parkeieren have elephant rides have been a favorittaktivitet among the tourists since the park opened in 1976.
Kalampichit tells that she did not know what else she could do than to use animals to entertain tourists.
The last year she has traveled several times to visit the Elephant Nature Park in Chiang Mai, to learn more about how they work. Redningssenteret is one of the few ethical elefantparker in Thailand. Where get animals from the other go free.
We want to do the same in our park. All turistutstyret is put away, and it is not more elefantshow or horse riding, ” says Kalampichit.
An elephant lifts a tourist in Pattaya in Thailand.
Photo: Mladen Antonov / AFP More says no thank you to the elephant trekking
Elefantturisme is an important industry in Thailand, but reports show that elephants in captivity at popular resorts in Asia are exposed to extensive abuse.
Dyrebeskyttelsesorganisasjonen World Animal Protection, which among other things, working for a more sustainable tourism without the animal cruelty, announced last summer a global campaign to stop all elephant rides.
the OPTIMIST: Given Buchhave, head of the World Animal Protection Denmark, hope the suspension of elephant ride in the Masea park to make it easier for other parks to also stop using elephants as ridedyr.
Photo: World Animal Protection
there is Much to indicate that it now has dawned on many that there is a negative side by elefantturismen, says head of World Animal Protection Denmark, Given Buchhave, to NRK.
She believes there has been a great development in recent years.
A study from 2019 done by yougov for the organisation, shows that 73 per cent of danes now say no to elephant rides as a part of the holiday.
ten years ago so the picture is completely different. Then think most people that it was okay to ride on the elephants, ” she says.
the Development in Denmark is according to Buchhave similar to the one you see in other countries. She believes holdningsendringen comes from the fact that people are becoming more enlightened about the conditions the animals are kept under.
According to the organisation has around 250 travel agencies also suspended all ticket sales and promotion of places that offer horseback rides and entertainment with the elephants.
– the TUI and Startour was among the companies in Scandinavia that was early, add Bucchave. In 2016 removed the TUI elephant rides from their utfluktsprogram.
Hope more parks ending
Fewer foreign tourists do that several hundred elefantparker throughout Thailand can be closed.
Only in Chiang Mai is the 93 parks. 87 percent of these risks to be closed down, if not the situation will change, informs the officials in the province to The Independent.
World Animal Protection have long been in dialogue with the parks in the province. Now they hope to get more to stop the elephant rides during the koronapandemien.
– We shall go into dialogue with the camps that are not elefantvennlige to hear how we can help them to omlegge their business, ” says Bucchave.
the SOCIAL ANIMAL: Elephants are intelligent and social animals who thrive best in groups. They are the world’s largest land animals, and in the open, they can wander up to 195 km per day.
Photo: Lillian Suwanrumpha / AFP
