Horrific footage has exposed how baby elephants are being ‘broken’ at cruel training camps before they are set to work in the tourist industry in Thailand.
Staff recorded the calves being abused before they were taught to paint, spin hoops, carry passengers and stand on their hind legs for the entertainment of holidaymakers.
Animal rights group World Animal Protection, which compiled the dossier of footage to highlight the cruelty, said the elephants’ instincts were ‘destroyed’.
In the clip, which was passed to an animal welfare group, one mother named Gintaala and her 16-month-old baby Boonshoo were seen being trained with disturbingly barbaric methods.
The baby elephant was tied to its mother as they fed on grass before the mahouts forced them to separate as Boonshoo cried out in distress.
Boonshoo was later chained up alone in a chamber where she was taught how to follow commands.
The jumbo’s natural instincts were ‘replaced by the pain and fear of the hook’ and being chained in the posts forced it to become used to ‘loud noises and stress’.
Horrific footage has exposed how baby elephants are being ‘broken’ at cruel training camps before they are set to work in the tourist industry in Thailand
Painful punishments can be seen being inflicted on the baby elephant with mahouts striking it with a bullhook or paddle with nails.
Staff recorded the calves being abused before they were taught to paint, spin hoops, carry passengers and stand on their hind legs for the entertainment of holidaymakers
Animal rights group World Animal Protection, which compiled the dossier of footage to highlight the cruelty, said the elephants’ instincts were ‘destroyed’
She said: ‘As of January 2020, we have 2,798 elephants in the tourism industry, a 70 per cent increase over 10 years ago.