Frustrated Elephant at Zoo in Thailand Kills Mahout
Earlier this week at Chiang Mai Zoo, an elephant named Phlai Ekasit swung his trunk at his mahout (handler) of 10 years, killing him instantly. As punishment, the animal is currently chained, unable to move, and being guarded by mahouts. He—along with another elephant at the zoo—is used for shows and feeding displays.
Another elephant attacks and kills his mahout in Chiang Mai. Elephants don’t belong in zoos.https://t.co/j9rRgwqniT
— PETA Asia (@PETAAsia) November 27, 2017
Is it any wonder that some of these gentle giants eventually become fed up of being chained while living in small enclosures a fraction of the size of their natural habitats and fight back?
Elephants have snapped before, and they will continue to do so unless we act to stop the abuse. Preventing humans from being killed by elephants is as simple as not forcing these intelligent animals to endure rides, photo ops, and other vacation activities.
What You Can Do
Tourist money funds this egregious industry. Please, never patronize zoos or elephant rides. As long as humans continue to buy tickets for such attractions, animals will continue to suffer. Talk to family members, friends, and coworkers—especially those with small children—who may be inclined to go and explain to them that every ticket purchased directly contributes to animals’ misery. Zoos will be forced to stop breeding and capturing more animals from the wild if their financial support disappears.
