In a new viral video from Thailand, a teenage elephant keeper is seen striking an elephant with a spiky metal stick. His manager then grabbed the adolescent by the neck and forced him to kneel in front of the elephant. At the Ayutthaya Elephant Palace in Thailand, a worker was getting ready to give tourists […]
Tag: Asian Elephant
Elephants dying after eating plastic trash on open garbage dumps
COLOMBO, Sri Lanka — The issue of trash-foraging elephants in Sri Lanka was brought to national attention thanks to a tweet by Hollywood icon Leonardo DiCaprio. Local conservationists, on the other hand, have long been warning about the problem, which they claim is caused by “short-sighted, politically motivated” planning that continues to harm elephants and […]
In Sumatra, a snare trap costs a baby elephant her trunk, then her life
ACEH BESAR, Indonesia — A Sumatran elephant calf has died days after conservation officials in Indonesia amputated half of her trunk due to severe injuries from a suspected snare trap. The female calf had been found alone and severely wounded by locals in Aceh Jaya district, in northern Sumatra, and handed over to the provincial […]
The Cruelty Behind Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage
When you first hear the name “Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage” it’s easy to assume it’s exactly that — an orphanage. However, Pinnawala, located in Sri Lanka, has been breeding and holding elephants captive for entertainment purposes, rather than for the welfare of the animals. A sanctuary or orphanage’s role is to hold animals captive for their […]
Giant pandas no longer endangered in the wild, China announces
Giant pandas are no longer endangered in the wild, but they are still vulnerable with a population outside captivity of 1,800, Chinese officials have said after years of conservation efforts. The head of the environment ministry’s department of nature and ecology conservation, Cui Shuhong, said the reclassification was the result of “improved living conditions and […]
Tiger habitat threatened by Malaysian royals’ mining plans
An environmental report has revealed the Malaysian royal family is requesting permission from the Department of Environment for a new iron ore mine in the middle of one of the few remaining habitats of 15 threatened animals, including the critically endangered Malayan tiger. The proposed project involves the deforestation and excavation of 60.75 hectares (150 […]
Do we love elephants enough to let them live free?
Elephants are always the prime attraction. In zoos, circuses, and safaris, elephants are the number one draw. They make an impression with their playfulness and intelligence, their docile nature despite extraordinary strength. People feel a natural connection to elephants, which I think is from an intuitive understanding that their emotional lives are similar to ours. […]
5 Ways Animals are Exploited for Labor
What is Animal Labor? Let’s start with speciesism. Speciesism, as defined by PETA, “is the belief that some animals’ lives and experiences are inferior to those of humans or other animals simply because they are members of a different species, and it underpins all the most widespread forms of animal abuse.” Unpacking this a step […]