Pressure on Angkor to end elephant rides after death
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An online petition calling for elephant rides to be banned at Angkor Wat has gained more than 25,000 signatures.
The campaign on Change.org was launched after an elephant died at the Cambodian heritage site on Friday.
The company responsible for the animal, Angkor Elephant Company, has since said that the death was caused by heatstroke. And while it has promised to reduce the number of hours worked by its animals during the hot season, campaigners are now calling on the Apsara Authority, which manages Angkor Wat, to impose a complete ban on elephant rides.
“There is no such thing as cruelty-free elephant rides. Tourists may think that riding an elephant on holiday does not cause harm – you often can’t see the cruelty – it’s hidden from view. What you don’t realise is that a ‘once in a lifetime’ or ‘bucket list’ item for you, means a lifetime of misery for wild animals. Ask that Apsara… ban elephant riding at Angkor,” the petition states.
Less than 24 hours after the petition was launched it had gained 5,000 signatures, and by Tuesday evening the total had risen to more than 26,400.
The practice of elephant rides in the tourism industry is coming under increased scrutiny. Last month, World Animal Protection (the organisation formerly known as the World Society for the Protection of Animals), announced a commitment from more than 100 travel companies, including TUI, Thomas Cook, Intrepid Travel, Voyages Jules Verne, Helloworld, AAT Kings, Jetset Travel, Qantas Holidays, Scenic Tours and G Adventures, to remove elephant rides from their itineraries.
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