Orangutan, Elephants, and Other Animals Languishing at Thai Zoo
Shocking new video footage shows the misery that elephants, crocodiles, a tiger, an orangutan, and a chimpanzee endure at a zoo in Thailand.
At Samutprakarn Crocodile Farm and Zoo, PETA Asia found elephants tethered by extremely short chains, including Gluay Hom, who was just a baby. They suffered from bleeding wounds, and handlers jabbed them with sharp metal spikes to force them into giving rides and performing tricks like bowling, painting, and dancing.
Unable to interact with each other, the elephants continuously swayed back and forth, a symptom of psychological distress.
Depressed Animals Exploited as Photo Props
PETA Asia eyewitnesses also found a tiger, a chimpanzee, and an orangutan exploited as photo props. When not being used for photos, the primates were held in cramped cages. They appeared to be frustrated and depressed, as they were denied mental stimulation and any opportunity for social interaction, both of which are extremely important to their well-being.
Animals Suffer for Tourism
The animals at this Thai zoo see nothing but concrete, chains, and cages. PETA is calling on travellers around the world to stay away from any facility that sentences wild animals to a miserable life of violence and deprivation.
The Thai elephant industry is notorious for the phajaan ritual, in which still-nursing baby elephants are dragged away from their mothers, immobilised, beaten mercilessly, and gouged with nails for days at a time. This treatment breaks their spirit, after which they spend the rest of their lives in captivity at facilities like Samutprakarn.
A Global Epidemic
It’s not just the animals at Samutprakarn who suffer at the hands of tourism. There are animal “attractions” around the world harming animals daily. Some cruel exhibits go as far as to masquerade as “sanctuaries” in order to attract well-meaning travellers, so it’s important to remember that any business that forces animals to perform for or interact with tourists in exchange for money doesn’t have the animals’ best interests at heart.
What You Can Do
Being aware of the abuse inherent in animal attractions enables us to make informed choices when on holiday and to help end the cruelty by refusing to support it. Please never, ever visit facilities that hold wild animals captive at home or abroad, and help us put an end to cruel tourism around the globe:
