In Asia, these gentle giants, while revered, are not free from abuse. Every year, scores of wild baby elephants are captured and taken from their mothers - who are often killed - and forced to undergo a torturous tradition to subjugate them, known as phajaan . This practice essentially breaks the spirit of the elephant, using fear of punishment to force them to accept riders on their backs, perform tricks, paint, and repeat other demeaning activities. At Elephant Nature Park, elephants traumatized by commercial tourism and illegal logging, have the chance to recover, lose their fear, and rediscover their elephant nature.
Save Elephant Foundation Magazine 2022. 07
Made with FlippingBook - Online Brochure Maker