Prohibited tourists from riding elephants in Vietnam

This may seem harmless, but riding on the back of the elephant can cause serious plagues to animals.

Now, the popular attraction of an elephant park in Vietnam is stopped.

Tourists are always welcome to observe animals – but only at a distance.

In countries where there are elephants, tourists almost always have the opportunity to ride on their backs. While this may seem like a comfortable and harmless family experience, it has been found that this is rarely the case for elephants.

Animal rights organizations have long been aware of the background of popular tourist activity, and photos and films have been shown showing how animals are treated between horseback rides.

On the pictures you can see how elephants are practiced in obedience by hitting their canes and tied with ropes when tourists do not see them. What many do not know is that the back of elephants is not designed to withstand heavy loads.

This forbids elephants

Ethical meetings with elephants have now begun to replace horseback riding in countries such as Cambodia, Laos and Thailand, and earlier this year banned popular elephant rides in Thai parks. .

Now, it seems that Vietnam is also following its example, where Yok Don National Park has withdrawn the animal program from the constituency. For many animal rights organizations, it is the country's first ethical elephant experiment and a step in the right direction.

Elephants, once chained between horseback rides, are now allowed to roam freely in their natural environment. Now they can drink whenever they want, look for food and take care of everyone. Tourists are allowed to watch majestic animals on their way.

"It feels so much healthier"

Animal Asia Asia Animal Organization hailed the initiative and said that "the farm has been replaced with respect". Dionne Slagter, an animal protection expert for the organization, tells Lonely Planet that you can already see a positive difference between the park's elephants.

"In the wild, elephants spend 18 hours a day looking for food, and that's exactly how Yok Don elephants spend most of the time, they all look so much healthier and become more and more confident about the distance at which they dare to walk.

October 25, 2018 11:31