THE KOH CHANG ELEPHANTS

A BRIEF RUNDOWN ON ELEPHANT ETHICS

Although the internet is saturated with issues of animal ethics, it still seems unclear about what is right and wrong, particularly surrounding elephants in southeast Asia. These (relatively) gentle giants hold a special place in many people’s hearts, which (I personally think) clouds their judgment on what is actually acceptable behaviour and what isn’t. An enormous number of elephants across Asia are subject to lifelong, widespread cruelty.

ETHICAL BEHAVIOUR WITH ELEPHANTS

It’s pretty simple – do not engage in forced contact with an elephant. If you interact with the elephants and in anyway change what their day looks like, it’s unethical.

So, for example, riding elephants is a *massive no*. Bathing with elephants or feeding elephants when they are forced to approach you is not okay. Elephants performing tricks or painting pictures for tourists is also not okay. Interfering in any way, as a tourist, is unlikely to be ethical. On a personal level, I’d question why anybody would want to do any of this too.

If you’d like to find out why it’s unethical to bathe, feed or otherwise have contact with the elephants, check out the World Animal Protection, who can explain it better than I can.

The words of Lek Saengduean Chailert, founder of Elephant Nature Park, an ethical sanctuary near Chiang Mai, say it best: 

It is, however, totally okay to visit a (proper) sanctuary and learn about elephants (in fact, it’s encouraged). Helping prepare the elephants’ food, take a hike around their world, watching them from a distance or spotting them from a viewing tower.

Doing this, while not interfering with the animals or their eco system, is ideal.

ELEPHANT SANCTUARIES

An animal ‘sanctuary’ or ‘refuge’ is designed, in theory, to take animals from an abusive situation and, ideally, rehabilitate them so they can be returned to the wild. However, sometimes the abuse an animal has suffered is so significant, for their own welfare, they must remain in captivity for the rest of their lives.

Just because an organisation calls itself a sanctuary, does not mean it treats its furry or scaley inhabitants ethically. Often, they are unscrupulously established with the primary aim of making money. These organisations can be deliberately designed to appear as a charity, when they are actually very much ‘for-profit’. They are hoodwinking tourists into believing their money is for something noble, which is very similar to greenwashing.

Obviously, it costs money to save animals from awful conditions. However, this does not justify the mistreatment, torture or breeding of them (without the express intent to release the babies back into the wild). Any creature rescued from traumatic circumstances, especially inflicted by humans, should be allowed to live as natural a life as possible.

This is where it appears to get confusing. If an elephant is removed from a circus, temple or the logging industry, then rehomed in a sanctuary, the likelihood is that its living conditions will, at least mildly, improve. However, that does not mean humans should take advantage of this animal with the excuse that ‘at least it’s an improvement on its previous condition’.

HOW TO TELL IF AN ELEPHANT SANCTUARY IS ETHICAL

There are few, if any, audits on most organisations that claim to be sanctuaries, refuges or camps. Most operate without any oversight, meaning that it’s often hard to know if they are a good, ethical choice. World Animal Protection published a report stating that in 2019, only 5% of the 2,798 elephants across the surveyed camps in Thailand met welfare standards in observation-only venues. This means that, statistically, it’s going to be hard to find a welfare-forward establishment.

Apart from the obvious things like riding, also consider:

◊ Are baby elephants bred into permanent captivity to earn money?
◊ Are there shackles to restrict the elephants’ movement? (this can be hard to spot in some cases)
◊ Do the elephants perform in any way for tourists?
◊ Do the mahouts (the elephant minders) use metal bull hooks, or even electric prods?
◊ Do the sanctuaries allow overnight or weeklong stays?
◊ Do elephants exhibit psychological stress behaviours such as swaying, pacing and bobbing their heads at trekking camps?
◊ Check reviews carefully and if in doubt, say no.

DIFFERENCES BETWEEN AN ELEPHANT SANCTUARY AND CAMP

Yes, there is a difference between elephant sanctuaries and elephant camps. Sanctuaries focus on elephant welfare, rehabilitation and education. Camps tend to be designed to entertain tourists. 

Although, as mentioned above, some elephant camps masquerade as ethical sanctuaries to encourage visitors, so be savvy with your decision making! There are no Koh Chang elephant sanctuaries.