Animal rights activists are up in arms after a five-start resort in Thailand used a baby elephant as a party “prop.” The photo has been removed from the Mövenpick Resort Bangtao Beach hotel in Phuket. In the photo, the elephant is by the side of the pool surrounded by guests including children. The resort’s TripAdvisor […]
Tag: Thailand
An Entire Thai Village is in the Business of Mercilessly Training Elephants for Captivity
Elephants are the center of life in Ban Ta Klang, a town in eastern Thailand. They’re all over the village, in yards and attached to trees. Locals there are a main part of the domestic elephant industry in Thailand, an industry with a hidden history of elephant abuse. For many years this part of Thailand […]
Half of tigers rescued from Thai temple have died, officials say
More than half of the 147 tigers confiscated from a Thai temple have died, park officials have said, blaming genetic problems linked to inbreeding at the once money-spinning tourist attraction. For years, the Wat Pha Luang Ta Bua temple in the western province of Kanchanaburi attracted hordes of tourists who could be photographed – for […]
Another Dead Whale Found With Over 1,000 Pieces of Plastic in its Stomach
In another tragedy for marine mammals who are being impacted by trash, a dead sperm whale was found in Indonesia with more than 1,000 pieces of plastic in its stomach. According to the New York Times, the whale, who washed up on Wakatobi National Park,was too decomposed for officials to determine the exact cause of […]
How ethical is the elephant ‘sanctuary’ you’re visiting?
“Many parks advertise themselves as sanctuaries but they are not,” says Maria Mossman, founder of non-profit group Action for Elephants UK. “Never go to a park that advertises shows, unnatural behaviour, tricks or painting – and please, never ride an elephant.” Mossman, who has been involved in elephant activism since 2013, and also organises global […]
Pilot Whale Dies After Eating 80 Plastic Bags in Thailand
In another tragedy for marine mammals who are being increasingly harmed by our trash, a pilot whale has died in Thailand after consuming a shocking amount of plastic debris. He was found days ago in a canal near the border of Malaysia clearly in need of help. Rescuers used buoys to keep him afloat and […]
POLL: Should the online trafficking of otters in Southeast Asia be stopped?
The online pet trade has emerged as a pressing threat to otters in Southeast Asia with a new TRAFFIC-IUCN Otter Specialist Group (OSG) study revealing hundreds of the animals for sale on Facebook and other websites over a four-month period. The Illegal Otter Trade in Southeast Asia, released today, revealed a high demand for juvenile […]
POLL: Should Thailand’s Phuket Safari Eco+ Park be shut down?
During shows presented several times a day at Phuket Safari Eco+ Park in Thailand, visitors can watch a group of macaque monkeys dance and perform tricks like riding tricycles and lifting weights. It’s just as depressing as it sounds, according to online reviews. “There [were] monkeys chained up in cages going crazy, trying to bite […]