Responsible tourism: alternatives to elephant cruelty

Elephants are wild animals that belong in the wild. If a venue allows you to get close enough to ride, bath or touch them, it’s because they’ve been cruelly trained.

Elephants in the wild spend their days roaming long distances, grazing and socialising with other elephants, not confined in small enclosures or forced to perform.

Baby elephants are tourist magnets, but true elephant-friendly venues shouldn’t allow breeding. You shouldn’t be seeing young elephants, except for orphanages where babies are rescued from the wild. .

Being wild animals, captive elephants can be unpredictable and dangerous, especially if they're being crowded. Many tourists and mahouts are injured and killed each year. Even in elephant-friendly venues you’ll often see mahouts accompanying elephants at a distance, to keep everyone safe.

As well as responsible tourism, you can also help by raising awareness: sharing your experience and leaving reviews on popular travel information sites like TripAdvisor, and being part of the movement to create a better future for elephants.

• Only visit venues where you can look, not touch.
• If the elephants in a venue are not allowed to move freely and express natural behaviour, it’s not the place for you.
• They might be cute, but if you can see or touch a baby elephant, especially without its mum, then the venue is not elephant-friendly.
• Elephants should always be treated with kindness and respect, and hooks shouldn’t be used unless in a real emergency.