Elephants made jobless by coronavirus

Children watching as a pair of elephants take their bath in Baan Na Klang village in the northern Thai province of Chiang Mai earlier this month. More than 100 elephants from various tourist camps in Thailand are back in the province following the ou
PHOTO: AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE

Children watching as a pair of elephants take their bath in Baan Na Klang village in the northern Thai province of Chiang Mai earlier this month. More than 100 elephants from various tourist camps in Thailand are back in the province following the outbreak of the coronavirus. Some 3,000 domesticated elephants working in amusement parks or "sanctuaries" - where they perform tricks for tourists - have been unemployed since the closure of tourist spots in mid-March. With their incomes vanished and risk of starvation growing, more than 1,000 elephants and their mahouts have returned to their villages across the country. Some of the controversial tourist camps employ abusive methods to "break" and train the elephants, who earn their keep by entertaining busloads of tourists eager for a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Sunday Times on June 14, 2020, with the headline Elephants made jobless by coronavirus. Subscribe