Giving rides to tourists is horrible for elephants' bodies and minds. Born to roam vast distances with a large bonded community, young elephants are ripped away from their homes and families, forced into captivity and confinement, and then
beaten into submission. That's how facilities are able to "train" elephants to give out rides for human entertainment.
Luckily, some countries are fighting back and prioritizing elephants' well-being! In fact,
Indonesia just banned all elephant rides throughout the whole country, including at zoos, tourist attractions, and conservation facilities.
This is a huge win for animal welfare. Yet many other places, like Thailand, India and the U.S., still haven't caught up. Sign the petition to demand that the U.S., Thailand, and India also pass nationwide bans on elephant rides!Elephants' backs and spines did not evolve to carry the weight of humans - or, worse, the weight of a whole collection of humans. Walking around in circles in the heat with screaming, excited tourists on their backs frequently leaves elephants with
serious physical injuries that haunt them for the rest of their lives.
And then there's the psychological distress. In order to get elephants to comply with these abnormal behaviors, trainers use
bullhooks or other weapon-like instruments to attack elephants and inflict pain. This is both to break their spirits (through a process called "the crush") and to punish them any time they disobey.
The goal is to break and terrify elephants so thoroughly, that they will do anything the trainers demand, even if it is harmful to them.When they're not "in use," the frightened, exhausted elephants are usually chained up and locked away in small, dirty sheds or similar environments.
It should be obvious that this abusive and cruel practice of forcing elephants to perform for humans or give them rides is just wrong. And, encouragingly, Indonesia has stepped forward as a leader for elephants' welfare!
Indonesia's new law not only bans all elephant rides in any setting, but it also urges organizations and facilities to focus on educational attractions instead. This way, humans can observe elephants performing actions that are natural to them, rather than coerced tricks.
Other countries, including the U.S., India, and Thailand, could learn a lot from Indonesia's wonderful leadership. Sign the petition to demand that India, Thailand, and the U.S. protect elephants by banning all elephant rides! 