An elephant in SeaWorld?
An elephant in SeaWorld? In an effort to make life for visitors … err, we mean elephants … better, the Fuji Safari Park has built a 213-foot pool for their Asian elephants. Given the summer heat, the pool is a great relief for these animals. But there is one pretty HUGE problem with this “solution” … it is tailored more to improve the experience of paying customers more than the actual elephants.
According to a report in the Daily Mail, “The inspiration behind the glass swimming pool came from images of elephants in the ocean. The zoo wanted to show tourists that the animals can actually swim, something many were unaware of.”
Aside from the blatant fact that this pool was built to draw in tourists – not really to, you know, keep the elephants from becoming too mentally or physically distraught, using the justification that they were inspired by elephants in the ocean is just ridiculous. Yes, elephants enjoy swimming in bodies of water, but you would be hard-pressed to find a wild elephant willingly venturing into the ocean. The salt water is harsh on their skin and eyes and being exposed to the sun without shade is extremely uncomfortable for them. The only case you would see an elephant swimming in the ocean is if that animal has been broken and trained to do so – hardly a behavior that should be replicated for “educational” purposes.
It is extremely clear that this added attraction is nothing more than that, a show for people, not a genuine addition to benefit of elephants. Asian elephants are in grave danger of extinction and if we continue to treat them as nothing more than props to make money from, they will disappear from the wild within the next 20 years. As consumers, it is up to us to see through these sham “animal welfare” scams and work to put an end to the cruelty. The easiest way to make this happen is to stop paying to see animals suffer. Share this article and encourage others to boycott this safari park and all other facilities that profit from captivity.
Caption: Kate Good
According to a report in the Daily Mail, “The inspiration behind the glass swimming pool came from images of elephants in the ocean. The zoo wanted to show tourists that the animals can actually swim, something many were unaware of.”
Aside from the blatant fact that this pool was built to draw in tourists – not really to, you know, keep the elephants from becoming too mentally or physically distraught, using the justification that they were inspired by elephants in the ocean is just ridiculous. Yes, elephants enjoy swimming in bodies of water, but you would be hard-pressed to find a wild elephant willingly venturing into the ocean. The salt water is harsh on their skin and eyes and being exposed to the sun without shade is extremely uncomfortable for them. The only case you would see an elephant swimming in the ocean is if that animal has been broken and trained to do so – hardly a behavior that should be replicated for “educational” purposes.
It is extremely clear that this added attraction is nothing more than that, a show for people, not a genuine addition to benefit of elephants. Asian elephants are in grave danger of extinction and if we continue to treat them as nothing more than props to make money from, they will disappear from the wild within the next 20 years. As consumers, it is up to us to see through these sham “animal welfare” scams and work to put an end to the cruelty. The easiest way to make this happen is to stop paying to see animals suffer. Share this article and encourage others to boycott this safari park and all other facilities that profit from captivity.
Caption: Kate Good
Comentaris
Publica un comentari a l'entrada