ELIZABETH DHOKIA

Wanderlust reader Elizabeth Dhokia shares her visit to an unethical sanctuary

What sanctuary did you visit? I went to an elephant camp in 2008. It was my first time in Thailand and I was on a two-day trek and the camp was geared towards elephantriding through the forest. What alarm bells sounded? When we arrived, there was an elephant in a pen near the entrance. I went closer to see it, then I saw it was chained at the ankles to a concrete post and was gently swaying. I felt conflicted because part of me was excited to see it up close, but I had a nagging feeling it wasn’t happy. Did you report the sanctuary? I didn’t report them. I didn’t know that I could. But I felt uncomfortable, so I read up on elephant-riding and the ethics around it. Initially, I was caught up in the excitement of trying something new, but the reality made me regret it afterwards. What could you have done differently? I wish I’d done some online research before I went to an animal attraction. I was already against the idea of the Tiger Temple in Thailand – it was clear the tigers were drugged – but, for some reason, I considered elephant riding to be normal, as humans had been using them for work for centuries. With a small amount of reading on the internet, I’d have known how cruel the practice of taming an elephant is, how badly they are treated and just how painful and dangerous it is for humans to ride them. What research do you do now? After that experience, I have tried my best to research any facility that houses animals before visiting. I check reviews on travel sites and what bloggers might have shared about it. For instance, I still love elephants, but on my latest visits to Chiang Mai I have chosen to see them at Elephant Nature Park, a sanctuary that rescues abused and sick elephants (and other animals), so they can live out their lives in peace. They don’t allow any elephant riding and they are active advocates against elephant cruelty.