This is what an elephant has to go through
in order for you, the tourist, to do this.
This is called phajaan. Translated, it means 'the crush.'
It's an ancient practice done all over Southeast Asia
and it goes on for days.
The purpose of this is to force a baby elephant
to take commands from humans, to prepare them for the tourism industry.
So, those elephants you see giving tourists rides
elephants that can paint, or perform really in any way
They've all been through some form of phajaan, first.
Not many people know about this, not yet.
Elephant tourism is still one of the biggest money makers in Southeast Asia
But this woman
she's hoping to change that
This is Sangduen Chailert
but, everyone calls her Lek
She's the owner of a place called Elephant Nature Park, in Chiang Mai, Thailand
It's a sanctuary for rescued elephants
Elephant Nature Park runs an extremely successful volunteer program
and the idea is that the volunteers will go home, and spread the message
Volunteers like Catherine, from Alabama
I grew up going to circuses and zoos, and being so excited to see the elephants
and now I look back and I think, 'oh my god, I bought into that'
tourist thing, not knowing what was behind it
I took my children. I didn't know.
It is absolutely horrendous, and they do it when the babies are small
There's a lot of that at Elephant Nature Park. A lot of raw emotion.
I'm sorry I just got so emotional. I can't help it.
This is Nannette
It was pure shock. I mean, I think some people are really ignorant
to what actually happens to them
and, they just see riding an elephant as fun
People just don't know, but there again, people choose to ignore it as well
Thailand, in particular, has a booming elephant tourism industry
More than half of Thailand's elephant population is held in captivity
Each elephant is assigned a mahout
Someone that will rehabilitate them, and stay with them the rest of their lives
Lek, understandably, has developed unshakable bonds with her elephants
She sings to those who carry emotional scars for life
But there are other elephants at the park who carry physical scars, too
Jokia, the blind one
I admit I cried saw that
Jokia was blinded in captivity, after she lost her baby and refused to keep working
Kabu's leg was broken in captivity, and healed improperly
But even so, she was still forced to work in this condition
The solution, they say, is education. And to not pay into the industry in the first place.
We just have to say it over and over to whoever will listen
Just really think hard before they ever thought of riding an elephant
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