Elephants are lead into an area where they are forced to stand on one leg, kick footballs and throw bowling balls at rows of skittles. Tourists can then pose with them for pictures.
CHRIS PLEASANCE: ‘Harrowing footage captured inside an infamous Thai zoo has exposed the cruelty that its animals are forced to endure. Traumatised elephants are shown rocking their heads from side to side in a sign of ‘psychological distress’ while tethered to short chains, crocodiles swim in dirty rubbish-strewn pools, and agitated tigers are fed by guests using meat on a stick… They are then lead into an area where they are forced to stand on one leg, kick footballs and throw bowling balls at rows of skittles. Holidaymakers can place tips in their trunks, pose with them for pictures, and walk under their massive bodies…
PETA said that the ‘zoo handlers jabbed elephants with sharp metal spikes and forced them to give rides and perform tricks such as bowling, painting, and dancing.’ The charity said that the elephants could not interact with each other and ‘continuously swayed back and forth, a symptom of psychological distress.’ The zoo also houses Asian Black Bears – which were filmed scratching nervously against the side of a concrete pool. Crocodiles are also kept in cramped enclosures and swim in filthy ponds, while tigers and gorillas spend their days in tiny cages…
National Geographic also investigated the same facility, and found a four-year-old elephant Gluay Hom which they said was emaciated, had a limp leg that he was refusing to stand on, and a large sore on the side of his head. Meanwhile an ageing tiger named Khai Khem was seen was a dental abscess so severe that it was eating through his jaw… In December last year, footage also emerged of an emaciated elephant being forced to perform tricks in front of a deserted stand at the tourist attraction.
Despite the growing pressure from activists, the zoo continues to operate and animals are still in appalling conditions… Campaigners are urging tour companies to stop taking visitors to the Samut Prakan Crocodile Farm and Zoo, south of Bangkok, after animals were repeatedly recorded in poor conditions’. SOURCE…
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