Does “elephant tourism” need to be stopped if we want to protect elephants?

In response to recent reports that elephants in Thailand’s tourism industry are being abused and living in miserable conditions, and even calling for a boycott of “elephant tourism”, Thai industry insiders have spoken out, believing that “elephant tourism” is a As an important part of the tourism industry, simply boycotting elephants cannot improve the living environment of elephants. Strengthening the supervision and legislation of object camps is an effective solution.

Matana, an elephant expert who once worked for Thailand’s National Parks and Wildlife Conservation Bureau, said that there are about 4,000 domestic elephants in Thailand and about 3,500 wild elephants. As Thailand's forest area shrinks sharply, the number of wild elephants has reached saturation, and domestic elephants cannot be released into the wild, and even if they are released into the wild, they have no ability to survive. The cost of domesticating elephants is quite high in terms of manpower, land, and management. Without the support of tourism, the survival of domestic elephants will be even more difficult.

Lot, a famous Thai veterinarian, said that a balanced diet, proper shelter, a good resting environment and complete medical care are all necessary conditions for the healthy growth of elephants. Most of the elephants in the elephant camp are domestic elephants. Unlike wild elephants, they need the care of mahout, food supply, and an environment where they can get along with people. Elephant expert Matana believes that effective solutions include strengthening the supervision of elephant camps, improving the treatment and training skills of mahouts, imposing heavy penalties on animal abuse, and establishing a safety and health certification system for elephant camps.