Tuesday, May 29, 2018
Conversations and controversies surrounding ethical treatment of animals concerning tourism hit a fever pitch last week, and they are visibly creating a ripple effect globally.
Happy Elephant Care Valley, in Chiang Mai, Thailand is about to embark on a landmark agreement for becoming a truly elephant-friendly venue.
This move will mark an end to all contact between tourists and elephants at the camp, to meet the growing demand for responsible elephant experiences. And this is really good news for all animal and elephant lovers.
Elephants in many venues across Thailand still offer rides that make the animals endure a cruel and intensive training process.
A research showed that eight out of ten (80 per cent) of tourists would prefer to see elephants in their natural environment, and this proves that elephant-friendly tourism is on the rise.
The elephants at Happy Elephant Care Valley were previously from farms and riding camps, and until recently, it was possible for close interaction between tourists and the elephants, being able to ride, bathe and feed elephants at the venue.
However, it stopped when the travel industry coalition presented a business case demonstrating the rise of elephant-friendly tourism.
The transition will help the elephants free to behave as they would in the wild; free to roam the valley, bathing in mud, dust, water or grazing as tourists experience the wonder, standing at a safe distance.
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