The Elephants That Came To Dinner
At the Mfuwe Lodge, a five-star lodge in Zambia, an elephant family treats hotel staff and guests to one of the most spectacular wildlife shows you’ll ever see. The elephant family is led by a matriarch named Wonky Tusk and they are on a mission to reach a mango tree and continue to take the same route they have for years. Thankfully for this lodge these elephants decided not to attend Happy Hour In Africa.
A statement about Thomas Cook: We will be working with Thomas Cook to ensure they stay true to their statements and continue to phase out elephant rides and shows.
An amazing 174,091 people from all over the world signed our petition calling on Thomas Cook to stop selling and promoting elephant rides and shows. As a result, Thomas Cook have stopped offering elephant excursions from this season’s promotions, and are planning to audit their entire range of wildlife experiences.
Promotions for elephant rides and shows should by now have been moved from all of their websites.
This is progress, but we want to make sure that Thomas Cook doesn’t slip back into selling elephant rides and shows. Therefore, we are asking our supporters let us know if you see any Thomas Cook promotions of rides and shows so we can ask for them to be removed.
We will not release the pressure. We will be working with Thomas Cook to ensure they stay true to their statements and continue to phase out elephant rides and shows. We are collaborating with representatives from all of Thomas Cook Group’s offices and are hoping for a favourable outcome for animal welfare.
We’re also meeting with Thomas Cook staff and travel industry regulators to ensure that elephant welfare is adopted by tour operators. We also hope to find ways that we can work together more effectively so that we can find long-lasting solutions for elephants.
Thank you to all of you who signed the petition. You’ve shown Thomas Cook that tourists will not tolerate the cruel abuse of elephants. Please keep up your support – it will lead to elephants being properly protected and cared for.
Funny Elephant Videos!
Funny Elephant Videos!
Life of the Makalali Elephants - Garonga
With a wide variety of wildlife Makalali Conservancy is a real animal heaven. This video shows a sneak peek into the fascinating lives of the Makalali elephants. From a lunch feast to a battle of the strongest these beautiful animals seem love their bushveld home.
Udawalawe National Park, Sri Lanka Elephants.
Udawalawe National Park, Sri Lanka Elephants.
Elephants at Umoja Kruger.
Close encounter with a herd of elephants on safari in South Africa.
Elephants crossing road in Katavi National Park, Tanzania.
40 elephants at the Maduru Oya National Park in Srà Lanka.
Why No One in the World Needs an Elephant Tusk But an Elephant.
Many people who purchase ivory do not realize that it came at the expense of an elephant’s life. Every 15 minutes an elephant in Africa is killed by poachers for their ivory tusks. That’s nearly 100 elephants a day, slaughtered at the hands of poachers who seek this “blood ivory” to sell on the illegal wildlife market. There are approximately 400-600,000 African elephants left in the wild. Do the math and it’s just a matter of one decade before we could see the extinction of the world’s largest land mammals. But not on our watch.
Elephants Need Their Tusks
No one in the world needs an ivory tusk, but an elephant. What elephants use their tusks for is no joke, nor is the poaching crisis. Tusks are elongated incisor teeth, and one-third of the tusk is embedded within the skull of the elephant. The pulp matter that makes up that part of the tusk is filled with nerve endings, so trying to remove tusks from an elephant is a deadly matter.
There’s no doubt about it; elephant tusks are beautiful. The creamy ivory color varies from the savannah elephants to the forest elephants. In forest elephants, the ivory is actually denser than in their savannah counterparts. But why exactly do elephants have tusks? They use them to protect the herd from predators like lions or to dig water holes, which other animal species benefit from as well. They also use them to rip off tree bark to eat. Elephants are often called “mega-gardeners,” because, without them, hundreds of tree and plant species would not exist. They keep Africa’s bush healthy.
An elephant’s ivory is vital to its survival in the wild. However, ivory on a human is only wasteful. In China, in the 1960s and 1970s, there were about 6,000-8,000 licensed ivory carvers. Today, with the use of electronic carving tools, these master carvers are vastly outnumbered by ivory carving factories where ivory trinkets can be mass produced to satiate the appetite of the growing middle class’s desire to own a “prestigious” piece of ivory. Although the top consumer of ivory is China, the United States isn’t far behind.
What Can be Done?
Elephantopia began as a simple blog to help raise awareness about elephants and the ivory trade in 2013. Today, we are a 501c3 nonprofit that is fully run by volunteers, with project partners in Zambia, the GRI Elephant Orphanage, where we sponsor an orphaned elephant victim of the ivory trade, Kavalamanja. Kavala’s family was brutally murdered by poachers. She was found wandering alone, severely traumatized from seeing her family massacred and malnourished. The keepers at the orphanage live and work with her 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Through their love and care, they have watched her grow up healthy. She now lives at the Kafue Release Facility where she is slowly being reintroduced to the wild.
As founder and director of Elephantopia, I am excited to be visiting the release facility and serving as a research assistant there this May 2016. But there’s a lot of work to be done here on the home front in the United States to help save elephants, as well. Currently, there is a federal ivory ban. However, it is up to each state to ban ivory importation from other states. Elephantopia is working with the Humane Society to see an ivory ban in the port state of Florida. Our petition has gained over 80,000 signatures, and it is our hope that the voices of the world will be heard by our leaders and that Florida will join New York, New Jersey, and California in banning ivory.
Elephants are a keystone species, meaning without these creatures, earth’s ecosystems will drastically change. And for what, a trinket or a piece of jewelry? No. Ivory belongs on an elephant and only on an elephant. Lead image source: Benh LIEU SONG/Flickr
Elephants near Gomo Gomo.
Elephant break the sprinkler and play.
Faa Sai one of the members broke the sprinkler again and is enjoying her free life at Elephant Nature Park. Even she is the big girl but some moment she look like a baby elephant play…watch how cute she is More information : www.saveelephant.org
Swaziland plans to relocate 18 elephants to American zoos
Swaziland is planning to transfer 18 wild elephants in a Boeing 747 plane to United States in order to relocate them to three American zoos.
In exchange, the zoos will be contributing $450,000 to a wildlife conservation trust in Swaziland for rhinos.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has approved an application from zoos in Dallas, Wichita and Omaha to import 18 wild elephants from Swaziland.The transfer involves 15 female and three male elephants estimated to range from six to 25 years old.
The permit allows a partnership formed by the zoos to import the elephants from Big Game Parks, an independent nonprofit that manages several wildlife parks in the Southern African Nation.
Swaziland, which is facing its worst drought in decades, was planning to kill the animals as a population control measure because the growing elephant herd was endangering other animals such as rhinos.
YaiBua the former working elephant was rescued by the kindhearted humans at Elephant Nature Park. While the details of YaiBua’s early life are not yet available, it’s likely that she either came from the logging or trekking industries. Thankfully, those days are behind her and she is now in the able hands of sanctuary caretakers.
The journey to her new home was long and a bit cramped, but in spite of this, YaiBua was quite content as she rode in the back of a truck to her new sanctuary home. Rescuers posit that she must have understood that she was finally being saved.
After arriving at her new sanctuary home, YaiBua was welcomed by the staff with a tasty treat — rice balls!
It looks like this elephant is going to be very happy in her new home. We’re glad that she’ll now be surrounded by elephant companions and humans who love her.
Tanzania Has Lost Two-Thirds of its Elephant Population in 4 Years! Green Monsters, the world’s elephants are in SERIOUS trouble. It seems like every day I hear more sad stories about baby elephants who lost their mothers to poachers. And frankly, I’m just darn sick of it! I might be a dog, but I have a lot of sympathy for elephants. After all, they’re really just like giant puppies – well, maybe really wise, giant puppies.
I’ve heard the statistic that one elephant is killed for their ivory every 15 minutes about A GAZILLION times, but it still doesn’t seem like people get what that means. SO, being the wise yogini that I am, I am here to give you a little perspective about what’s happening to elephants.
Tanzania once had the world’s largest elephant populations on the planet, but according to the latest counts, the country has lost two-thirds of its elephant population in just four years!
That’s just crazy! Do you know how little four years is? I’M NOT EVEN FOUR YEARS OLD! It takes more time for a child to learn how to read, or to learn how to open the treat jar for their beloved pup.
Seriously, even the super smart humans who did this count couldn’t believe the numbers. “We recalculated about 1,000 times because we didn’t believe what we were seeing,” said Howard Frederick, the researcher in charge of Tanzania’s wildlife counts. Yes, it is that bananas.
If this trend keeps up, it means a student could go off to college and by the time he or she graduates, elephants could be completely wiped from the country! I won’t even have a single gray paw hair before this could happen!
The craziest part about this main driver behind these elephants deaths is the demand for ivory, particularly in the U.S. and China. Elephants are being killed in masses are for trinkets. From my point of view, people already have more stuff than they could ever want – and more, but they still feel the need to kill elephants in order to make shiny piano keys and necklaces?! That’s just plain ridonkulous.
If you want to put an end to this madness and ensure that the next generation of hoomans knows what an elephant even is, you can help by sharing this post and encouraging people to avoid ivory at all costs! When the buying stops so can the killing. So hop to, peeps!
Ex-orphan Icholta has her first wild born baby.
Joseph Sauni, Head Keeper of the Voi Reintegration Unit, was delivering the midday milk feed for the dependent Voi elephant orphans on the 22nd January when he spotted a group of elephants resting under the shade of a tree on the slopes of Mzinga Hill. Suspecting that this could be EMILY’s herd who had been at the Stockades the day before, of some of the other Ex Orphans, he drove to where they were and to his surprise…read more: www.sheldrickwildlifetrust.org/www.facebook.com/thedswt
Second Elephant Death in Four Months. Nine months after being transferred from Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle, Washington, Asian elephant, Chai, has been found dead at Oklahoma City Zoo, just months after the death of little Malee. At the youthful age of 37, and before the end of her first Oklahoma winter, her death is particularly tragic because she had come so close to being sent to a California sanctuary.
This is a heart-breaking end for yet another innocent zoo victim. The loss of Chai is particularly devastating to the many who fought so hard – and came so close to achieving - her retirement to a sanctuary, including the tireless activist group, Friends of Woodland Park Zoo Elephants.
How can we express our condolences and pay our respect to her longtime companion, Bamboo, who remains at the Oklahoma City Zoo? We must continue to try to relocate her to a sanctuary.
Friends of Woodland Park Zoo Elephants made this touching statement on Facebook.
Chai is at peace now—free from suffering at the hands of the zoo industry. At 37, Chai would have been at the prime of her life in the wild, and still bearing calves, but Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle and now the Oklahoma City Zoo bear the responsibility of another elephant dying prematurely... RIP CHAI.
Last month, we announced that Oklahoma City Zoo earned the dishonor of being the 3rd worst zoo on our annual List of Ten Worst Zoos for Elephants in North America. Four-year old elephant, Malee, died there just months ago in October- a painful death from a herpes virus and yet another victim of the reckless breeding practices there. Click here to read more. photo credit Friends of Woodland Park Zoo Elephants
Close Zoo Exhibit After Second Elephant Death.
British circus with wild animals
A new bill to ban wild animals in circuses in England is being presented on Wednesday 10 February 2016 and we need your urgent help if it is to have a chance of succeeding.
Please contact your MP and urge them to support Conservative MP Will Quince’s Ten Minute Rule Motion: Wild Animals in Circuses (Prohibition) Bill.
With no timetable set by the government to bring in the ban that was promised four years ago, we must seize this opportunity to stop the suffering once and for all.
We are determined to get the legislation promised the animals, and politicians, the public and animal experts are on our side. A similar bill championed by Animal Defenders International had overwhelming support but was blocked by just a few MPs. We can’t let this happen again.
Circuses are gearing up to go on the road again and the animals will be forced to perform for another year. We must stop this merry go round of suffering – and the threat of yet more wild animal acts. A new big cat circus is already poised to return to England, having been prevented from doing so last year due to the inadequate living conditions the lions and tigers were forced to endure.
The Cruelest Animal Attractions Where Thousands of Tourists Are Unknowingly Paying for Abuse. According to a new report released by World Animal Protection, nearly all wildlife tourist attractions involve some form of animal abuse or conservation concerns and up to 550,000 wild animals are suffering in these venues. The report details the mistreatment of baby animals who are stolen from their mothers, beaten, and abused during training to break their spirits, in addition to other heart-wrenching examples that prove animal attractions are anything but fun for the animals. World Animal Protection details a number of cruel tourist traps, but they’ve deemed the worst venues to be bear, elephant and tiger parks. As animal lovers, it is up to us to protect these animals from harm, but first we need to be aware of the suffering we’re supporting when we buy a ticket. Here is what the report found:
Bear Parks
In bear parks, animals are kept in enclosures, which are quite literally the “pits” – they are sterile, barren, and severely overcrowded. Bears are mainly solitary in the wild and the stress of being so tightly packed with other bears can lead to infighting and serious injuries. The drain of captivity alone lends itself to a number illnesses, including mental disorders. Their environments can also lead to increased susceptibility of bacterial infections and disease. Sometimes these bears are also forced to dress as clowns and perform circus tricks such as riding a bike or balancing on a ball, in which they are subjected to cruel training methods.
Elephant Rides
Riding an elephant may seem like an innocent tourist attraction, but the animals in this industry are put through unimaginable cruelty for the sake of entertainment. First, the elephants are stolen from their mothers as babies to ensure that they are young enough to be “trained” into submission. Then, they are forced through a horrific process known as “the crush,“ which involves restraining babues in a small cage, or tying them in ropes or chains, so that they can only move when commanded. If the elephant does not cooperate, they are struck with a piercing metal bull hook, or wooden bat. This can last for days or up to a week. These horrifying practices are designed to These horrifying practices are designed to “break” the young elephant’s spirit so they will accept people riding on their backs, out of fear of painful retribution. Sadly, their suffering only continues into adulthood as they are deprived of their close-knit family units that they would experience in the wild. They are kept in chains and in small enclosures for the remainder of their lives. According to the report, the global tourist hotspot for elephant rides is Thailand, although it is prevalent in other counties throughout Asia and Southern Africa.
Tiger Parks
Just like with elephants, tiger cubs are separated from the mothers at an early age so that they can be trained to be used as photo props. They are kept on short chains or in small cages with metal bars and concrete floors. Instead of being out in the wild where they belong, they are handled and hugged by tourists for hours at a time, and then locked back in the tiny cells when the parks are closed. Thailand is a major hub for these kind of cruel attractions, in which the report found 10 venues housing around 614 tigers. One of these destinations, Tiger Temple, which is notorious for abuse, has recently been forced to retire its tigers after numerous allegations of animal cruelty and wildlife trafficking had been charged.
There’s More…
These attractions are some of the cruelest industries for animals in the world, but the report details a total of 10 attractions to avoid. Following closely behind the top three worst are walking with lions, holding sea turtles, dolphin shows, dancing monkeys, civet coffee plantations, snake charming, and crocodile farming. One of the most troubling facts is that the majority of people paying for these excursions have no idea what has been done to these wild animals behave in such a tame manner. Thankfully, we can all work to change this.
What You Can Do
One of the best ways to combat the cruel wildlife tourism industry is to educate people about what really goes on behind closed doors. By writing a review, and sharing the truth, on websites like TripAdvisor, you can help inform others of the hidden cruelty behind these attractions. “We need to stop the demand for elephant rides and shows, hugs and selfies with tigers and lions by exposing the hidden suffering behind wildlife attractions. If you can ride it, hug it or have a selfie with a wild animal, then you can be sure it is cruel. Vote with your feet and don’t go,” said Neil D’Cruze, Head of World Animal Protection Wildlife Research. Wild animals are absolutely breathtaking so it’s easy to see why so many people would flock to these parks to get a photo or just spend time with these incredible beings, but no selfie is worth the amount of cruelty that these animals face for our entertainment. Instead of visiting a park where animals are kept in captivity or are forced to work for profits, consider visiting a sanctuary, where rescued animals are able to live free from harm. Would you rather see happy animals than hurt ones? To read World Animal Protection’s entire report, click here.
TAKE ACTION NOW!
Swaziland plans to relocate 18 elephants to American zoos
In exchange, the zoos will be contributing $450,000 to a wildlife conservation trust in Swaziland for rhinos.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has approved an application from zoos in Dallas, Wichita and Omaha to import 18 wild elephants from Swaziland.The transfer involves 15 female and three male elephants estimated to range from six to 25 years old.
The permit allows a partnership formed by the zoos to import the elephants from Big Game Parks, an independent nonprofit that manages several wildlife parks in the Southern African Nation.
Swaziland, which is facing its worst drought in decades, was planning to kill the animals as a population control measure because the growing elephant herd was endangering other animals such as rhinos.
YaiBua the former working elephant was rescued by the kindhearted humans at Elephant Nature Park. While the details of YaiBua’s early life are not yet available, it’s likely that she either came from the logging or trekking industries. Thankfully, those days are behind her and she is now in the able hands of sanctuary caretakers.
The journey to her new home was long and a bit cramped, but in spite of this, YaiBua was quite content as she rode in the back of a truck to her new sanctuary home. Rescuers posit that she must have understood that she was finally being saved.
After arriving at her new sanctuary home, YaiBua was welcomed by the staff with a tasty treat — rice balls!
It looks like this elephant is going to be very happy in her new home. We’re glad that she’ll now be surrounded by elephant companions and humans who love her.
Tanzania Has Lost Two-Thirds of its Elephant Population in 4 Years! Green Monsters, the world’s elephants are in SERIOUS trouble. It seems like every day I hear more sad stories about baby elephants who lost their mothers to poachers. And frankly, I’m just darn sick of it! I might be a dog, but I have a lot of sympathy for elephants. After all, they’re really just like giant puppies – well, maybe really wise, giant puppies.
I’ve heard the statistic that one elephant is killed for their ivory every 15 minutes about A GAZILLION times, but it still doesn’t seem like people get what that means. SO, being the wise yogini that I am, I am here to give you a little perspective about what’s happening to elephants.
Tanzania once had the world’s largest elephant populations on the planet, but according to the latest counts, the country has lost two-thirds of its elephant population in just four years!
Seriously, even the super smart humans who did this count couldn’t believe the numbers. “We recalculated about 1,000 times because we didn’t believe what we were seeing,” said Howard Frederick, the researcher in charge of Tanzania’s wildlife counts. Yes, it is that bananas.
If this trend keeps up, it means a student could go off to college and by the time he or she graduates, elephants could be completely wiped from the country! I won’t even have a single gray paw hair before this could happen!
The craziest part about this main driver behind these elephants deaths is the demand for ivory, particularly in the U.S. and China. Elephants are being killed in masses are for trinkets. From my point of view, people already have more stuff than they could ever want – and more, but they still feel the need to kill elephants in order to make shiny piano keys and necklaces?! That’s just plain ridonkulous.
If you want to put an end to this madness and ensure that the next generation of hoomans knows what an elephant even is, you can help by sharing this post and encouraging people to avoid ivory at all costs! When the buying stops so can the killing. So hop to, peeps!
Ex-orphan Icholta has her first wild born baby.
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Beloved Elephant, Chai, Dies at Oklahoma City Zoo
Second Elephant Death in Four Months. Nine months after being transferred from Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle, Washington, Asian elephant, Chai, has been found dead at Oklahoma City Zoo, just months after the death of little Malee. At the youthful age of 37, and before the end of her first Oklahoma winter, her death is particularly tragic because she had come so close to being sent to a California sanctuary.
This is a heart-breaking end for yet another innocent zoo victim. The loss of Chai is particularly devastating to the many who fought so hard – and came so close to achieving - her retirement to a sanctuary, including the tireless activist group, Friends of Woodland Park Zoo Elephants.
How can we express our condolences and pay our respect to her longtime companion, Bamboo, who remains at the Oklahoma City Zoo? We must continue to try to relocate her to a sanctuary.
Friends of Woodland Park Zoo Elephants made this touching statement on Facebook.
Chai is at peace now—free from suffering at the hands of the zoo industry. At 37, Chai would have been at the prime of her life in the wild, and still bearing calves, but Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle and now the Oklahoma City Zoo bear the responsibility of another elephant dying prematurely... RIP CHAI.
Last month, we announced that Oklahoma City Zoo earned the dishonor of being the 3rd worst zoo on our annual List of Ten Worst Zoos for Elephants in North America. Four-year old elephant, Malee, died there just months ago in October- a painful death from a herpes virus and yet another victim of the reckless breeding practices there. Click here to read more. photo credit Friends of Woodland Park Zoo Elephants
Close Zoo Exhibit After Second Elephant Death.
Target: Oklahoma City Zoo Executive Director, Dwight Lawson
Goal: Close elephant exhibit responsible for the death of two elephants and move remaining animals to sanctuaries.
Yet another Asian elephant has died within the Oklahoma City Zoo elephant enclosure, making that two elephant deaths at the zoo within the past four months. Chai, a 37-year-old elephant, died alone and unattended, and was found by zoo workers when they arrived in the morning. The Oklahoma City Zoo obviously does not have healthy or adequate conditions for elephants, and it is time for it to close its elephant exhibit and transfer its remaining elephants to sanctuaries that can offer them longer and healthier lives.
Chai was transferred to the OKC Zoo just last May, despite animal activists’ attempts to block her transfer from Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle. Even the judge who approved the transfer was not optimistic about the living conditions Chai would have at OKC Zoo, stating that the facility couldn’t offer the necessary climate or amount of space that animal experts say are necessary for elephant well-being.
Not only was Chai knowingly sent to live in an unhealthy environment, but she also became the second elephant to die within that environment in the past four months. In October, a very young four-year-old elephant died of a Herpes virus.
The recent, unexplained death of Chai is just further proof that the OKC Zoo is not a safe place for elephants to live. It is terrible that this animal was knowingly placed in an environment that could not offer her a healthy or happy life, and it is time for us to ensure that the same mistake is not made with any more elephants. Please sign the petition below to show your support for the remaining elephants at OKC Zoo by demanding they be sent to sanctuaries that can offer them healthier, happier lives.
Dear Mr. Lawson,
Within the last four months, two Asian elephants have died within the elephant enclosure at Oklahoma City Zoo. One of these elephants died alone and unattended, and the other died at the untimely age of four, suggesting that the habitat at OKC Zoo is not a safe or healthy place for elephants to live. I am writing to implore you to close the elephant exhibit at OKC Zoo and send the remaining elephants to sanctuaries that can offer them safer, healthier lives.
The median life expectancy for female Asian elephants is 47, however the two female Asian elephants who died within the OKC Zoo elephant exhibit were only 37 and four. Not only are elephants living much shorter lives within this exhibit, but it also doesn’t offer the climate or the amount of space experts say are needed for an elephant’s overall well being. The combination of these factors suggest that this exhibit is simply not adequate for the health of elephants and needs to be shut down.
Elephants are magnificent, intelligent, and social animals who deserve to live in an environment that keeps them active, engaged, and healthy. The exhibit at OKC Zoo simply cannot offer elephants the stimulation or socialization that they need, and therefore the moral thing to do is find a better place for the remaining elephants to live. Please make the decision that is in the best interest of these beautiful animals by closing the elephant exhibit and moving the remaining elephants to sanctuaries that can offer them better lives.
Sincerely,
[Your Name Here]
Photo Credit: Cacophony
Back the new bill to ban wild animals in circuses! Ask your MP today to support efforts to prohibit the use of wild animals in circuses in EnglandBritish circus with wild animals
A new bill to ban wild animals in circuses in England is being presented on Wednesday 10 February 2016 and we need your urgent help if it is to have a chance of succeeding.
Please contact your MP and urge them to support Conservative MP Will Quince’s Ten Minute Rule Motion: Wild Animals in Circuses (Prohibition) Bill.
With no timetable set by the government to bring in the ban that was promised four years ago, we must seize this opportunity to stop the suffering once and for all.
We are determined to get the legislation promised the animals, and politicians, the public and animal experts are on our side. A similar bill championed by Animal Defenders International had overwhelming support but was blocked by just a few MPs. We can’t let this happen again.
Circuses are gearing up to go on the road again and the animals will be forced to perform for another year. We must stop this merry go round of suffering – and the threat of yet more wild animal acts. A new big cat circus is already poised to return to England, having been prevented from doing so last year due to the inadequate living conditions the lions and tigers were forced to endure.
The Cruelest Animal Attractions Where Thousands of Tourists Are Unknowingly Paying for Abuse. According to a new report released by World Animal Protection, nearly all wildlife tourist attractions involve some form of animal abuse or conservation concerns and up to 550,000 wild animals are suffering in these venues. The report details the mistreatment of baby animals who are stolen from their mothers, beaten, and abused during training to break their spirits, in addition to other heart-wrenching examples that prove animal attractions are anything but fun for the animals. World Animal Protection details a number of cruel tourist traps, but they’ve deemed the worst venues to be bear, elephant and tiger parks. As animal lovers, it is up to us to protect these animals from harm, but first we need to be aware of the suffering we’re supporting when we buy a ticket. Here is what the report found:
Bear Parks
Elephant Rides
Tiger Parks
There’s More…
These attractions are some of the cruelest industries for animals in the world, but the report details a total of 10 attractions to avoid. Following closely behind the top three worst are walking with lions, holding sea turtles, dolphin shows, dancing monkeys, civet coffee plantations, snake charming, and crocodile farming. One of the most troubling facts is that the majority of people paying for these excursions have no idea what has been done to these wild animals behave in such a tame manner. Thankfully, we can all work to change this.
What You Can Do
One of the best ways to combat the cruel wildlife tourism industry is to educate people about what really goes on behind closed doors. By writing a review, and sharing the truth, on websites like TripAdvisor, you can help inform others of the hidden cruelty behind these attractions. “We need to stop the demand for elephant rides and shows, hugs and selfies with tigers and lions by exposing the hidden suffering behind wildlife attractions. If you can ride it, hug it or have a selfie with a wild animal, then you can be sure it is cruel. Vote with your feet and don’t go,” said Neil D’Cruze, Head of World Animal Protection Wildlife Research. Wild animals are absolutely breathtaking so it’s easy to see why so many people would flock to these parks to get a photo or just spend time with these incredible beings, but no selfie is worth the amount of cruelty that these animals face for our entertainment. Instead of visiting a park where animals are kept in captivity or are forced to work for profits, consider visiting a sanctuary, where rescued animals are able to live free from harm. Would you rather see happy animals than hurt ones? To read World Animal Protection’s entire report, click here.
TAKE ACTION NOW!
- Urge your MP today to back the new bill to ban wild animals in circuses – contact your MP here
- Help us stop circus suffering in England with a donation
- If you live in Northern Ireland, Wales or Scotland please also contact your MLA, AM or MSP and urge them to support measures to ban wild animal acts
Don’t Let Ringling Retire Elephants to Its Own Cruel Facility.
![VietnamCircus[1]](https://7068-presscdn-0-62-pagely.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/VietnamCircus1-300x225.jpg)
Target: Kenneth Feld, CEO of Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus
Goal: Retire all of Ringling’s elephants to an accredited sanctuary rather than its own allegedly abusive Center for Elephant Conservation.
Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus have vowed to retire all of their elephants by May 2016, which is great news. Unfortunately, Ringling plans on retiring their elephants to their own Center for Elephant Conservation (CEC).
Don’t be fooled by the name of the facility. The general manager of the CEC reportedly stated that the elephants can be chained up on concrete floors for 24 hours a day. In addition, bullhooks and electric prods are reportedly used at the facility. A true conservation center would never use tools that harm animals.
Sign this petition and demand Ringling stop using animals for their own benefit and instead give them the happy life they deserve.
Dear Mr. Feld,
Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus have made the exciting announcement that they will be retiring all of their elephants by May 2016. Unfortunately, you plan on bringing these elephants to Ringling’s Center for Elephant Conservation (CEC).
At the CEC, elephants are allegedly still subjected to the pains of bullhooks and electric prods, and can be chained up to concrete floors for up to 24 hours a day. While the stress of traveling is something the elephants won’t face at the CEC, many other sources of stress are still present.
It is time Ringling stop abusing elephants for their own benefit and profit. These animals deserve a happy life, a life with friends, kindness and love. Please consider sending these gentle giants to an accredited sanctuary.
Sincerely,
[Your Name Here]
Photo credit: Casablanca1911
Nosey's Rangers Tweetsheet- Politicians and USDA : Tweetsheet #1 (Politicians)
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