FRIDAY, March 29, 2024
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Elephant attractions don’t need torture to be successful

Elephant attractions don’t need torture to be successful

Re: “On World Animal Day, it’s time to end elephant polo”, Opinion & Analysis, October 4.

Of course I agree with Jason Baker of PETA that the Minor Hotel Group should stop sponsoring the elephant polo tournaments in Bangkok.
Over the years numerous letter-writers have debated and disagreed with me on such animal rights issues as vegetarianism. But can’t we all put aside our differences long enough to make a unified effort to condemn the use of elephants for entertainment? The evidence of abuse, torture and beatings of the elephants is extremely well documented.
Here in Chiang Mai you have the Elephant Nature Park where the animals live in a natural environment and don’t give rides of perform tricks. I believe tourists, especially children, would find it more educational to see elephants behaving like elephants instead of behaving the way the barbarians in the “entertainment” industry force them to behave.
Eric Bahrt
Chiang Mai

Editor’s note: According to Minor International chairman William Heinecke (“Like PETA, Minor Hotels is serious about elephant welfare in Thailand”, this page, yesterday) the Thailand Elephant Polo Association has decided not to seek permission for a 2019 Elephant Polo tournament and to cease its operations in Thailand. 

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