A Life in Chains: Elephants in Tourism

In many Asian countries, elephants are used in tourism. There are several hundred facilities that sometimes receive hundreds or even thousands of visitors daily. A new report by Pro Wildlife now reveals how problematic elephant tourism is. Many animals are captured in the wild and made submissive through massive violence. In elephant camps, even the most basic needs of the animals are frequently disregarded. In addition, elephants pose a potential risk to the lives of holidaymakers.

Wild captures for tourism

«There are still around 44’000 wild Asian elephants. Set against this are 15’000 animals in captivity. Unlike what is usually suggested, the captive elephants are not orphans raised by loving hands. Instead, the animals often come directly from the wild — and it is not uncommon for an entire herd to be killed for a single elephant calf. The Asian elephant is endangered, and this form of tourism contributes further to decimating their numbers,» explains Adeline Fischer from Pro Wildlife. The animals are traded for up to 30’000 US dollars. Because the demand for elephants in tourism is so great, it is met — particularly in Thailand — with elephants from neighbouring countries, despite international trade bans. «The elephants are smuggled across borders illegally, and rising visitor numbers at elephant camps are further fuelling the market,» adds Fischer. In Sri Lanka, an estimated 75 percent of elephants used in tourism come from the wild and were captured illegally.

Cruel methods and poor keeping conditions

Many vacationers fall for the myth that Asian elephants are domesticated like our riding and pack animals and bred for labor. However, Asian elephants are wild animals and have never been domesticated. “An elephant only submits to the will of humans through the use of massive force. To achieve this, the animals are restrained with ropes and chains for an extended period and broken through beatings and deprivation of food and water until their will is broken. Only one in three wild-caught elephant calves survives this procedure, known as breaking or Phajaan. Elephant handlers then maintain control over the animals for the rest of their lives using striking instruments such as the elephant hook or sharp objects,” Fischer adds. In addition, the animals in many camps are kept permanently in chains, the elephants' nutrition is inadequate, and free access to water and shade is frequently lacking. “Elephants are the only wild animals that are still kept in chains to this day. The animals suffer from constant lack of movement and social isolation. They frequently stand in their own excrement and suffer from injuries inflicted by elephant hooks,” Fischer adds.

Elephants are dangerous wild animals

Many elephants in captivity are infected with tuberculosis, one of the deadliest infectious diseases in the world. “Elephants are potential disease carriers. Many tourists, for example, allow themselves to be sprayed with water by elephants while bathing, which can transmit pathogens. Furthermore, an elephant remains a wild animal for its entire life, and the list of attacks on people at elephant camps is long. Fatalities occur time and again, and tourists have already paid with their lives for this dubious pleasure,” Fischer adds. “We at Pro Wildlife therefore advise against all attractions that offer direct contact with elephants.”

The travel industry responds

Pro Wildlife educates travel companies about the grievances in elephant tourism and demands that the industry stop supporting this animal cruelty. «We have already achieved great successes: TUI, as the first industry giant, has already removed elephant riding from its programme, and other providers such as Geograf Reisen, Studiosus and Hauser Exkursionen also responded directly.» The largest German travel association, DRV, has also spoken out against direct interactions with elephants in an official position paper. «Many companies are willing to make their programme elephant-friendly. We provide assistance and support companies in taking this step. But the majority of the industry still needs a nudge in the right direction.» More on animal rights and wildlife.