The elephants they are not to be ridden, declared at the time by the Friends of Wildlife Foundation (WFFT). And there is strong evidence to justify this statement.
An image of the elephant Pai Lin circulated in late March shows the serious consequences these animals can suffer after spending a long time “working” in the service of tourists.
In it you can see the 71 year old elephant with the spine completely disfigured by the transport of people.
In the tourism industry (especially in Southeast Asia) elephant rides are very common. Some individuals support up to six people on their backs. Among the many consequences they suffer – the activists denounce – is death from exhaustion and malnutrition.
“Pai Lin’s back still bears the scars of the old pressure points.. This continuous pressure on (elephants’) bodies can deteriorate the tissues and bones of their backs, causing irreversible physical damage to their spines,” the Foundation explained.
The story of Pai Lin
Pai Lin came to the shrine of WFFT in 2006 after working in Thai industry for 25 years. She lives with 24 rescued elephants near Hua Hin, two and a half hours from Bangkok.
His body looks much healthier than when he arrived.. “She’s fatter than when she first came to us. But you can see the shape of her spine very clearly. It’s a physical deformity that she’s going to have to live with, but she’s fine,” she told the cnn. Edwin Wiekdirector and founder of the group.
Wiek also commented that the previous owner abandoned it because it was “too slow” and “always in pain”, so it “couldn’t work well anymore”.
“Their spines extend upwards. The constant pressure on tourists’ spines can cause permanent physical damage, which can be seen in Pai Lin,” the team project manager explained, tom taylor.
Raise awareness
By sharing Pai Lin’s story, the Foundation wants to raise awareness of animal abuse and therefore prevent elephants from being ridden.
“It’s important to understand that elephants, unlike horses, are not bred to be ridden. They are not domesticated animals and are taken from the wild and kept in terrible conditions,” Wiek said.
“She’s very introverted and doesn’t really like being in the company of other elephants, but she does like the attention of people,” Wiek added. “She gets cranky when it comes to food, but she’s a lovable elephant,” concluded the activist.
Source: Clarin
Mary Ortiz is a seasoned journalist with a passion for world events. As a writer for News Rebeat, she brings a fresh perspective to the latest global happenings and provides in-depth coverage that offers a deeper understanding of the world around us.