On World Elephant Day, our social media editor Julia O’Driscoll takes a look at some of the work being done across the world to protect elephants from the dangers of the growing wildlife tourism industry.
On the odd occasion that I drop into conversation that I once volunteered in an elephant sanctuary in Thailand people often ask, with a slight eyebrow raise, “the good kind?” – and rightly so.
Wildlife tourism has fast become a booming sector of the travel industry. Certain activities now seem to be considered a rite of passage among backpackers and holidaymakers, the attraction differing depending where in the world you visit. Being photographed with docile tigers; watching monkey shows; riding an elephant; animals acting unnaturally has become a perverse but proliferating form of “entertainment”, and animal welfare is often pushed to one side or overlooked as the spectacle takes centre stage.
Happily, my experience at the Elephant Nature Park (ENP) was very positive. This rescue and rehabilitation centre does fantastic work for conservation and is considered a pioneer in the treatment of captive elephants. Providing shelter for endangered species with an onsite veterinary clinic and carefully trained team of mahouts, the park is a home for elephants who have been orphaned, involved in street begging, illegal logging, tourism trekking, or have in some other way become vulnerable to environmental or human threats.