Wide-scale abuse of elephants in Thailand hardly a secret
Re: “Finally, the truth about cruelty to elephants in Thailand”, Have Your Say July 8.
Why do you use the word “finally”? For decades there have been protests about the horrible way elephants are tortured in Thailand in order to break down their resistance to performing in shows and giving rides.
Why isn’t Thailand’s Animal Welfare Act addressing this outrage?
Why don’t the tourists boycott the elephant shows and camps?
On the positive side, here in Chiang Mai you have the Elephant Nature Park where the animals are well treated and don’t perform or do tricks. I’ve also noticed that many agencies promoting elephant tourism now have signs reading “No Riding”. It’s a start, but we’ve got a long, long way to go.
Eric Bahrt
