New Undercover Investigation Shows Rampant Elephant Suffering in India

Elephants Forced to Wear Heavy Chains and Haul Tourists in India

INDIA, April 6, 2023/EINPresswire.com/ — A new investigation by Lady Freethinker (LFT) reveals widespread abuse to elephants at tourist spots in India, including elephants with heavy chains around their necks and ankles, elephants forced to haul tourists on their backs for “entertainment,” and elephants with abscesses – or painful collections of pus. Video footage is here.

An LFT investigator visited six elephant “attractions” in January 2023 — including Sakrebyle Elephant Camp, where the investigator observed elephants with heavy chains weighing down their bodies and which made the news in September 2022 after an elephant tried to attack his handler.

The investigator witnessed widespread suffering and abuse at every site, including:

– An elephant smacked in the face with the wooden handle of a bullhook
– Elephants displaying signs of zoochosis, or serious psychological distress, like swaying or bobbing their heads for hours on end
– Tourists posing with elephants who were chained to poles in the ground
– Elephants with multiple abscesses, which commonly result from puncture wounds or untreated abrasions that become infected, according to an elephant expert at Save the Asian Elephants (STAE) who examined the footage

The same expert also confirmed with LFT that the pink scarring evident around many of the elephants’ ankles is commonly associated with chaining injuries, especially when adult male elephants struggle to free themselves when in musth, when they experience a surge in testosterone.

“Elephants, who have been declared India’s National Heritage Animal, deserve better than to be abused and exploited for profits and people’s ‘amusement,’” said Nina Jackel, founder and president of Lady Freethinker. “It’s time for India to truly honor elephants and end all human interactions with these animals, who are capable of feeling love, pain, and fear just as humans do.”

LFT has launched a petition available here, calling on India’s officials to act immediately to help the suffering elephants in the country and is reminding people everywhere to never visit places that exploit elephants – or any animal – for “entertainment.” So far, the organization has collected over 31,000 signatures.

About Lady Freethinker
Lady Freethinker is a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit working to end animal suffering. LFT gives a voice to those who cannot speak out for themselves, and effects meaningful, lasting change through investigative reporting and other media, citizen petitions, and partnerships with rescuers and activists on the ground worldwide. Together, we are changing the way the world sees and treats animals for the better. Learn more at www.ladyfreethinker.org.

Mary Beth Wood
MBO Media
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