Elephants in the tourism industry generally provide three services: direct inter-
action with tourists, entertainment, and demonstration of obedience, skills, and
intelligence (Kontogeorgopoulos2009a,b). In entertainment shows, elephants are
trained to perform various tricks such as playing football, walking on a tightrope,
throwing darts, sitting on stools, walking on their hind legs, painting pictures,
dancing, playing music, or evenflushing a toilet (Cohen 2015 ; Kontogeorgopoulos
2009a,b). These shows are tailored for mass tourists on brief vacations in the
country and take no special effort tofind because they are so widespread (Cohen
2008 : 155).
9.3 Welfare Issues.......................................
The demand for wildlife tourism is growing, which has raised important ethical
issues concerning animal welfare and how appropriate and acceptable use of ani-
mals for human entertainment is defined (Duffy and Moore 2011 : 596). The use of
captive elephants in Thailand’s tourism industry, and captive wildlife in general,
has long been condemned by international and national animal rights and welfare
NGOs over concerns for their treatment (Nijman 2014 ). World Animal Protection
(WAP), an international animal welfare organization, uses guidelines identified in
2003 by the United Kingdom’s Farm Animal Welfare Council named the“Five
freedoms for animal welfare”as primary standards for animals used for tourism
purposes. The list follows that animals must have (World Animal Protection 2010 ):
- Freedom from hunger and thirst
- Freedom from discomfort
- Freedom from pain, injury, and disease
- Freedom to express normal behavior
- Freedom from fear and distress
The welfare of captive wildlife is strongly dictated by how closely their living
conditions resemble their natural wild habitats, although WAP is adamant that the
needs of wild animals can only be fully met in the wild (World Animal Protection
2010 ). In 2010, WAP compiled a survey on elephants used for entertainment in
Thailand. Elephant venues throughout Thailand were assessed based on animal
welfare conditions and given a rating as commendable, inadequate, or severely
inadequate. Out of the elephant venues surveyed, 80% were classed as severely
inadequate, 15% were classed as inadequate, and only 5% of the elephant venues in
Thailand were given a commendable rating. The main welfare issues were as
follows: the severe control of the animals’freedom of movement by chaining or
containment to small cages, limited opportunity for social interaction, participation
in stressful and physically demanding show activities, insufficient or nonexistent
veterinary care, and inadequate nutrition (World Animal Protection 2010 ).
9.2 An Anthropocentric History 129