Save Lasah! Tell TripAdvisor to stop being complicit in elephant abuse!

  • by: Julia Savory
  • recipient: TripAdvisor President and CEO Stephen Kaufer

In a situation that can only be described as beyond heartbreaking, an Asian elephant named Lasah is enslaved by humans, exploited and abused all day every day. Langkawi Elephant Adventures (LEA) in Kedah, Malaysia own Lasah, and there are several TripAdvisor pages promoting 'elephant experiences' with Lasah through a business called Oriental Village.

LEA does not meet Lasah's basic needs, some of which are:

To live with other elephants - he lives alone
To sleep lying down - he's chained to the floor
To cover himself in mud to protect himself from sunburn - he's kept clean for the tourists who don't understand why elephants need to use mud to protect themselves
To regulate his body temperature in water - water isn't available for bathing
To roam free - chained up when not in use

Positive reviews of rides on Lasah published by TripAdvisor legitimise this attraction and ensure a continuing market both for the tourism and the poaching that supplies elephants to tourist attractions like LEA.

TripAdvisor has been asked to remove the pages promoting the attractions featuring Lasah, but they have not listened. Please sign my petition demanding that TripAdvisor remove these pages:


The dirty secret of elephant tourism and trekking is that young elephants, usually baby girls, are first poached from their mother and herd and 'broken'. Breaking is done by chaining the baby elephant's body into a large structure so the humans can torture the elephant with instruments and pain. When the elephant is broken it can be taught what the human wants it to do to earn money for the human. Training involves more pain and torture.

The average weight that a trekking elephant carries each day all day is around half a tonne allowing for 150 kilo chair plus 4 guests. You will see permanent indentations on elephant backs where these chairs have been. Elephants live as long as humans and are often worked to death.

There is a local sanctuary called Kuala Gandah Elephant Sanctuary that will be able to have Lasah and let him enjoy a retirement if Lasah cannot be 'wild released' after rehabilitation.


Some background about how Lasah is being helped and how you can help:

There is mounting pressure on the local environment ministry pressure headed by Friends of the Orangutans (FOTO) Malaysia http://www.fotomalaysia.org/?p=1870

In January 2017, FOTO organised a protest in the capital of Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, and in February, they personally handed two petitions, including a Care2 petition with over 400,000 signatures, to the head of the Peninsular Malaysia Wildlife Department and the Head of the Corporate Communications Unit at the Environment Ministry of Malaysia. Petitions were submitted to the Prime Minister's Department in 2016. In March 2017, FOTO organised a protest in London, UK.


SPEAK UP FOR THOSE WHO CAN'T SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES, PROVERBS 30:8

Please sign and share this petition. Thank you.

Update #75 years ago
Dear all kind Lasah supporters. The elephant is still chained in Malaysia. But he is not forgotten.
There is a change of government in Malaysia. The new Prime Minister's 'constituency' is LangKawi where Lasah is held. Surely now Lasah has a chance?
There is something you can do! Please tweet. Just follow this link: https://ctt.ec/2b9RZ
Let's all tweet the Malaysia Government in the 24 hours! Please do it now then it's done and you've made your voice heard! Thank you.
Update #66 years ago
The UK fundraiser for the international campaign to free Lasah, supported by NGO Friends of the Orangutans, happened last week. It was an amazing day and the support was fantastic. There is a short film available at this link: www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/friendsoflasah
The same film is available on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/_tncYNsXUYI
Please help Lasah by watching the film and sharing across your social media channels. If you've got some loose change, please donate! Thanks.



Update #56 years ago
Dear Lasah supporters, just to let you know about the official Lasah Fundraiser endorsed by Friends of the Orangutans who are spearheading the international campaign to free Lasah. Fundraiser is a 12 hour non-stop static cycle ride in the Lake District, UK. Happening this Saturday 3rd Feb 2018.
This is a crowdfunder...please... lots of people, a little amount...
Link for donations and videos: www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/friendsoflasah
Update #46 years ago
Congratulations! You did it. LangKawi Elephant Adventures who exploit Lasah on a daily basis for financial gain no longer have TripAd. pages. Thank you to every person who signed/shared, those who wrote to me and to TA, especially Lisa B, Care2 and Upresh at FOTO. Links 2 and 3 are gone. Good riddance! Links 1 and 4 remain so we fight on! Please share and celebrate, and be part of this global response that shouts, 'Enough suffering. Enough exploitation. #FreeLasah.'
facebook.com/friendsoflasah
Update #36 years ago
Bridgitt Bardot joins the fight!
Expedia caves to pressure to remove Lasah promo pages.
But Trip Advisor still promote Lasah rides. How cruel! How complicit! How do the decision makers sleep? Here is a full update: https://www.change.org/p/free-lasah-the-elephant-from-daily-abuse/u/21649825?utm_medium=email&utm_source=petition_update&utm_campaign=157778&sfmc_tk=VEUfCOoTUUFe8tQNxYXxCbA0NGODH5jwZhGBwluU5HjXVXX5mTXoEyiiO7s4dNoB&j=157778&sfmc_sub=80784040&l=32_HTML&u=29671486&mid=7259882&jb=10
Sign Petition
Sign Petition
You have JavaScript disabled. Without it, our site might not function properly.

Privacy Policy

By signing, you accept Care2's Terms of Service.
You can unsub at any time here.

Having problems signing this? Let us know.