Why you should not ride on elephants' backs…

Approaching Asian elephants, feeding them, washing them, or interacting with them is a popular tourist activity for travelers visiting Cambodia. However, it is crucial to keep in mind that certain practices cause suffering to this species, which was once overexploited by the wealthy classes and is still highly sought after by poachers. Today, it is classified as "endangered" by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

Many testimonies affirm that the behavior of tourists toward Asian elephants must undergo a radical change. We must take responsibility and become aware. A well-known secret: rides where visitors sit on their backs should be strictly avoided. While the pachyderms may not appear outwardly abused, the training they undergo to accept a human presence on their spine can be likened to torture. The word is strong but cruelly accurate. All these forms of training serve a single purpose: to make money. Through labor, begging, or of course, tourism.

Let’s take an example of these practices, which is not exhaustive but widespread in Southeast Asia and supports this truth: the "phajaan." The goal is to submit the elephant to the utmost, controlling it, making it lose its instincts and reflexes so that it becomes docile toward humans.

Raw torture

The reputable investigative website Maxisciences, along with testimonies from influencers Seth and Lise, confirms this reality: “From a practical point of view, it is only through the use of violence that trainers manage to succeed. The phajaan lasts between 4 to 6 days and is carried out on young elephants. The animals are separated from their mothers and locked in narrow cages where they are chained. They are then repeatedly beaten at strategic and highly sensitive points. In addition to being beaten, the elephants are kept awake, deprived of food and water in front of the trainers (‘mahouts’), who recite prayers that translate into ‘elephant, if you stop struggling, we will no longer hurt you.’” From that moment, the animal no longer responds to anything. It complies and follows the orders of its tormentor, the human.

It’s worth noting that not all survive these tortures. Scientists from Maxisciences estimate that half of the young pachyderms perish during these sessions, and some become aggressive, unusable for the mahouts. Not profitable. Most are then killed. Sometimes, they even take their tormentor to the grave with them. More than 100 trainers from Southeast Asia are killed by their elephants every year.

Training for tours and shows

Once the elephant’s spirit is shattered, the mahout teaches it techniques and behaviors that will be used to entertain tourists during these pernicious rides, which are considered charming by many travelers in the Southeast Asian ecosystem. To ensure the elephant remains compliant for the rest of its life, “it is given a few reminders by being struck or pressed again on sensitive points,” they add. The animal is now ready to welcome tourists and receive their gentle caresses, which are immortalized in Instagram photos testifying to the tourists' kindness.

Alternatives for travelers

So, what should you do if you want to approach elephants in a more natural way than in a zoo? In Cambodia, two NGOs, the Cambodia Elephant Rescue Organization and Elephant Valley, both located in the Mondulkiri province, offer projects to preserve, protect, and help the species thrive. Paid visits are of course offered, but the context is completely different. Between a tourist activity agency that buys zombified pachyderms, devoid of any reality, and exploits them to make money, and these NGOs that take advantage of tourists’ attraction to fund programs for the restoration and protection of the species, as well as employment plans for the lands they wish to sanctify, the difference is significant.

Mr. Tree, the founder of the Mondulkiri Project, responded to this issue two months ago in Le PetitJournal Cambodge: “We aim to increase the population of elephants living in the forest. We plan to bring in a male elephant to produce babies, the first for the center. Tourism has allowed the region to develop and create jobs. Before, no one spoke English here, whereas the Bunongs who work with us at the sanctuary or as guides are required to practice it.”

Seth and Lise believe that “it is largely because of tourists that this business works, so it is up to tourists to make the right decisions. The future, well-being, and especially the survival of thousands of elephants are at stake.” This is a basic economic concept. If demand decreases significantly, the supply will be reduced. The key is to inform about these practices so that there is a collective awareness.

Thibault Bourru