An Elephant Filled Morning
For James' birthday, we decided to pay a visit to Elephant Jungle Sanctuary to give the elephants some love! Prior to our trip, I didn't really know much about Asian elephants. Sure, I'd heard conflicting viewpoints on riding them, and I heard it may be cruel, but that was about the extent of my knowledge. Through my visit, I learned a bit more about the history of Asian elephants, and the paradoxical nature of their living in captivity. This implored me to do further research, and after extensive research, I'd have to say that I'm more perplexed by the highly controversial topic than I was before. Everyone has a different say-so in the matter of elephants and what is best for them, as does every researcher. So instead of promising you the truth about riding elephants, or elephant tourism, I'm going to share my perspective with you, through my personal experience.
Being Introduced
We arrived at the elephant camp and changed into the traditional Karen clothing, which is recognized by the elephant as attire that a mahout wears. Before we met the elephants, one of the volunteers gave us a brief summary of the history of the Asian elephant. We then went out to meet these elephants and feed them bananas and sugar cane. It was absolutely amazing to be so close and interact with these gentle giants. We were taught a simple command, "bon!" which results in the elephant lifting it's trunk to open it's mouth so you were able to put a banana in. What a weird and exhilarating feeling to put your hand in the mouth of such a massive animal! Of course, they will also take the fruits out of your hand with their trunk.
Bathing Elephants
We then got changed into our swimwear and wend down to the mud pools to bathe these joyful tuskers in some mud. I'm not sure how much of it was elephant poo and how much of it was actual mud, but it didn't smell toooo awful, and the elephants seemed to enjoy it quite a bit! After making sure the elephants had a luxurious mud bath, and possibly throwing a few "mud" balls, we took the elephants down to the stream to wash the mud off. We had a bit of fun in the water, then all of us came up to have some lunch; the giants munched on some corn rather than noodles.
What I Took Away From This
Before I go on to say anything else, I must say that I thoroughly enjoyed this experience. These creatures are so incredible and I was quite fascinated by their mighty structure, yet tender nature. I loved spending time with them, and watching them interact with each other as well as with other tourists. I walked away with a warm feeling in my heart that day.
Before tourism, wild Asian elephants were captured and used for intensive labor such as logging and farming. Over time, new machinery was developed that made logging and farming more efficient, which decreased the value of elephants and put many owners and their elephants out of jobs. With no longer any need for their elephants, and no way of sustaining the amount of food they need, many of the owners set them free. Unfortunately, these elephants, being accustomed to human establishments, would come to local farms and eat their crops. This became an issue as farmers became more and more infuriated, starting to lash out violently against these elephants. Yet there was no longer a place for elephants to make a home because a vast amount of their natural habitat was destroyed by logging. This is when the era of elephant tourism began; owners found yet another clever way to use their elephants to make money.
At Elephant Jungle Sanctuary, we learned that today, elephant owners don't typically participate directly in elephant tourism, instead, they contract their elephants to tourism companies that then use these elephants for x amount of years, as listed in the contract. Sanctuaries are typically a place in which elephants retire after working in the tourism industry because the sanctuaries buy the elephants from the owners after the owner get out of their binding contract. We were told that elephants' spines cannot sustain the weight of a rider over time, and it in fact damages their spines. They do not allow riding of elephants at Elephant Jungle Sanctuary, and that was originally why I picked this sanctuary to visit. We are left believing that this may be the best place for elephants, because they are happy here, and they simply cannot be placed back into the wild.
Some Questions That Struck Me
Are elephants always so gentle around humans? During lunch at the sanctuary, I witnessed a smaller elephant run towards a dog and act aggressively towards it. Dogs are much smaller than humans, and in some cases, also pose a much smaller threat. Are these elephants trained to be docile towards humans, particularly humans wearing the traditional Karen attire? or do they not view us as a threat?
This brings me to my next question: If they are trained, is there such thing as a humane training process to make an elephant accustomed to humans, or do all elephants in the tourism industry undergo a version of Phajaan (also known as "the crush")? Phajaan is the process in which a baby elephant is separated from its mother and then abused to the point that its will is "crushed". The process includes, but is not limited to, being cramped in small spaces, being chained and whipped, clubbed with a bull-hook, and deprivation of food and water for days on end.
How difficult is it to remain in control of an elephant without using negative reinforcement.. i.e. punishment? I didn't notice this until James pointed it out, but the elephants at Elephant Jungle Sanctuary are prodded behind the ear with a sharp object by their mahouts to force the elephants to do what they want. This information, of course, was withheld during the introduction about the elephants. Then my next question is, does this hurt the elephant's tough skin, or is it more of an annoying poke? James noted that a few elephants had scars behind their ears. So then, is this "sanctuary" any better than the other elephant tourism centers that these sanctuaries claim abuse their elephants?
Is it true that riding an elephant is detrimental to its spine over a long period of time, because its spine isn't designed to support the weight? Although this may in fact be true, I haven't found any evidence. Throughout my research, I've found elephants with wounds and scars, with tuberculosis, abscess, dry skin, and abnormal nail growth among many other ailments, but I have yet to come across a single article about an elephant with a damaged spine. So among the non-riding sanctuaries, is it just a ploy to get more animal-loving tourists to come to non-riding camps because the tourists think they are helping the animals by doing so?
Even if an elephant were to live in a utopia sanctuary, where it was never mistreated, and all of the conditions were ideal, do elephants suffer from being within boundaries where they cannot roam wherever they please?
Of course, everyone has a different answer to these questions, and they all have research to back it, and feel strongly about it. My research has proven inconclusive, and these are still questions that I walk away wondering. So although I gained unforgettable memories from this day, it haunts me that I'm not 100% certain of the ethicality of the camp I visited. But then, what is the alternative?
I can't tell you what is right and what is wrong when it comes to elephants, I just ask that you are wary when you look into elephant tourism. Keep an eye out for signs that show that the elephant is exploited and abused. Thanks for reading :)
