Disturbing footage has emerged of the inhumane treatment elephants in Thailand endure at the hands of trainers to make them ‘perform’ for tourists and break their spirits.
Eight young elephants were seen being forcibly taken from their mothers, tied to wooden structures while beaten repeatedly, and walking tied up – sometimes along busy highways.
In heartbreaking footage, three emaciated elephants were forced to dance on their back legs in front of a crowd of tourists
A young elephant sways in pain after its feet and neck were shackled to poles by cruel trainers
The elephants experience both physical and psychological trauma as they take violent blows, leaving them vulnerable and therefore terrified without the comfort of their mothers
Another video showed a trainer riding an elephant who was forced to walk with its two front legs shackled together
The young elephants experience both physical and psychological trauma as they take violent blows, leaving them vulnerable and terrified without the comfort of their mothers.
The distressing vision also shows young elephants being chained between trees while wailing in pain and eventually collapsing.
One elephant was seen being forced to stand up on his two hind legs, while his two front ankles are shackled together.
In an even more heartbreaking video, three emaciated elephants were forced to dance on their back legs in front of a crowd of tourists.
The footage also showed an elephant lifting up a tourist with his trunk while visibly in agony.
A scared baby elephant was chained to a wooden pole while being forced to spin a hoola hoop on his trunk.
Another video showed a trainer riding an elephant who was forced to walk with its two front legs shackled together.
The footage showed an elephant lifting up a tourist with his trunk while visibly in pain
The distressing vision also shows young elephants being chained between trees while crying out in pain and collapsing
A shackled elephant keeled over in pain after its two front legs were shackled together
Elephants are unable to move after being roped and chained to large fences, as they wail in pain
Trainers cruelly dressed elephants up in costumes to perform and dance on command for crowds of heartless tourists
A baby elephant tries to fit its head through a cage inside an inhumane enclosure
The video showed the common practices such as the use of a bull-hook (carried by the trainer), which is a metal tool used to jab sensitive areas