Jobless elephants undertake 150km hike back home

[snoop1130 7,347]

Jobless elephants undertake 150km hike back home

By The Nation

 

 

A hundred or so elephants are having to trudge some 150 kilometres back to their natural habitat now that there are no tourists to watch them perform and the mahouts have run out of money to feed them.

 

Mahouts in Chiang Mai said the elephants are being led to Mae Chaem district, where local communities can help look after them, now that most elephant shows in the province have been temporarily closed due to the pandemic.

 

Source: https://www.nationthailand.com/news/30387444

 

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[steven100 14,755]

good news for a change ......    so a positive has come out of these bad times 

[Pilotman 11,259]

The Mahouts are the jobless ones, thank goodness.  The Elephants are free spirited, wild animals that have had their natural instincts knocked out of them by years of abuse, cruelty and over work. Just let them go; they will survive much better than the morons who are now out of a job.  

[Puchaiyank 12,162]

I have not heard one elephant complain about being out of work! 

[steven100 14,755]

6 minutes ago, Puchaiyank said:

I have not heard one elephant complain about being out of work! 

no nothing .... apparently they just packed their trunk and left 

[sirineou 15,984]

9 minutes ago, Puchaiyank said:

I have not heard one elephant complain about being out of work! 

If you will talk to them, I mean really sit down and talk to them, you will find out that they to have have feelings. dreams and aspiration,  and are not a think skinned as everyone thinks they are.

Just make sure not when you do so not to sit too close as my uncle Harry  found out when after a few drinks one fell over ,and landed on him. 

Edited May 7 by sirineou

[hotchilli 9,349]

15 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

Mahouts in Chiang Mai said the elephants are being led to Mae Chaem district, where local communities can help look after them, now that most elephant shows in the province have been temporarily closed due to the pandemic.

Long may that last..

[topt 2,345]

15 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

where local communities can help look after them,

I wonder if anybody mentioned it to them (the local communities) and what they think of that......

100 elephants foraging for food.......

[BobBKK 7,115]

150 kilo is a long, long way and food/water for the journey?  pity them

[Tarteso 1,491]

Jobless elephants...

 

Did you meant enslaved elephants?.

[Cake Monster 2,815]

16 hours ago, Pilotman said:

The Mahouts are the jobless ones, thank goodness.  The Elephants are free spirited, wild animals that have had their natural instincts knocked out of them by years of abuse, cruelty and over work. Just let them go; they will survive much better than the morons who are now out of a job.  

This is Thailand, and the Elephants will only be on a Holiday until the Tourists return.

As soon as the Tourists return, these poor creatures will be rounded up and exploited again to their full potential.

[RJRS1301 7,006]

16 hours ago, Pilotman said:

The Mahouts are the jobless ones, thank goodness.  The Elephants are free spirited, wild animals that have had their natural instincts knocked out of them by years of abuse, cruelty and over work. Just let them go; they will survive much better than the morons who are now out of a job.  

The problem being I think, that the elephants will be so used to seeking out human contact, dependence on food from humans, and not being part of "their" herd, it will be difficult for survival "in the wild".

I fear the next headline will be " Elephants rampaging through villages". , "local scared, and shooting them."

 

I hope it is not like that, but reintroduction to another environment will have its impacts

[Trujillo 1,609]

"Did you meant enslaved elephants?. "

 

Do you think all animals not in the wild are "enslaved"? 

Ban zoos! Free all the pets! Unleash your dog and push him out. Let them go back to nature. 

[Pilotman 11,259]

1 hour ago, Trujillo said:

"Did you meant enslaved elephants?. "

 

Do you think all animals not in the wild are "enslaved"? 

Ban zoos! Free all the pets! Unleash your dog and push him out. Let them go back to nature. 

pets are domesticated animals not wild, Elephants are wild animals, not domesticated pets.  That is a whole world of difference.  As for zoos, yes, they should all be closed to anything but seriously endangered species that need ultimate protection if they are not to become extinct.  Even in that regard, Thailand has not shown itself capable of dealing with any animals in a humane and effective way.  

[naboo 2,483]

This happens every year. Not news. Tourists keep them busy up until March then they go home until October. Maybe a few more are doing the walk this year, but it isn't news.