Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Animal abuse
With many tourists coming to Thailand and returning home with a picture of them riding
an elephant or petting a tiger it has become a common image associated with the country.
However picturesque or exotic it may seem many of the animals that are kept for tourist en-
tertainment are abused regularly with drugs to tame them, whips and hooks to harm them,
and general mistreatment.
There are many alternative ways to get close to these animals in a positive and animal
friendly way. Elephants that have been abused or injured are taken care of at camps and
sanctuaries in multiple places in Thailand. You can visit and volunteer for a day or up to a
week or two. You will see the damage that tourism can have on animals but you can also
help to reverse the impact by not supporting the practices.
So skip the tiger walks and elephant rides, and support programs that fight animal cruelty.
