Letters to the Editor
View(s):At least now let the elephants be free
Tourists enjoying elephant safari rides. (file pic)
The worldwide halt in travel has brought about some big changes to animals used in Sri Lanka’s tourism industry. Elephants who are forced to work day after day in the nation’s tourist camps have had a brief reprieve from their toil, as the camps have been forced to close and the trekking chairs have been removed from the backs of elephants.
International watchdogs have documented that wild elephants are captured to perpetuate this lucrative tourist industry. Taken from their home and herd, these intelligent and social animals will spend most of their lives in chains, living in fear of being prodded with a sharp metal-tipped weapon. Ultimately, tourists who pay to ride or bathe an elephant are responsible for this cycle of abuse.
Captivity robs elephants of everything that gives their lives meaning: foraging for food, constantly being on the move, taking dust baths, swimming, and, most importantly, socializing with their herds and other elephants. Long after visitors go home with their photos and memories, elephants continue to suffer through their interminable days.
Now, handlers are reportedly not feeding the elephants they use and blame the COVID-19 pandemic for this. It’s never been clearer that these multi-ton wild animals deserve to be cared for properly and live out their lives free from having chains around their legs and being beaten with bull hooks. As always, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) will transfer any elephants surrendered to us to a sanctuary.
When the world gets past the coronavirus crisis, life will slowly return to normal. But for elephants in Sri Lanka’s elephant camps, going back to servitude is no life at all.
Please, never book an interaction with an elephant and always be sure that one is not included on your tour.
Jason Baker
(People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) Via email