Elephant safaris accused of cruelty

ANIMAL rights groups have lashed out at the elephant-back safari industry in South Africa after a handler was trampled to death last week.

Last Monday an experienced handler at the Elephant Sanctuary in North West Province was killed by two elephants.

Reports said the handler fell off one of the animals while conducting a morning exercise session and was trampled underfoot.

The International Fund for Animal Welfare’s South African director Jason Bell said: “This tragedy is the fifth recorded of elephant handlers in South Africa since 2006.”

Bell painted a bleak picture of the industry, which he said was characterised by a pattern of abuse.

“The elephant-back safari industry is one of greedy and willing participants in a practice that allows elephants to be subjected to training that is wrong, cruel and exploitative. They pay no attention to the psychological and social needs of these highly intelligent creatures.”

But Knysna Elephant Park owner Lisette Withers said this was untrue. She said ill treating the animals would have the reverse effect.

“We’ve been accused of starving the elephants, taking away their water, even hitting them to train them… If you do this it’s going to kill you at the first opportunity it gets, or it’s going to break loose.”

She said a dedicated research team was employed to monitor the animals’ well-being. “We aren’t hurting our animals.”

Withers said she had been accused of beating the elephants and chaining them up.

“They can come here and look. Everything is out in the open for all the guests to see,” she said.

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