A horrific picture showed the great harm inflicted on a female elephant, after years of carrying tourists on her back in Thailand, which is a widespread “tourist” habit in those areas.
Wildlife Friends of Thailand released a photo of Bai Lin, a 71-year-old female elephant, with a deformed spine after decades of pregnancy from tourists.
In some cases, an elderly female elephant was forced to carry up to 6 people at once.
The organization is leading a campaign to stop the phenomenon of elephants carrying tourists, especially perennial animals such as Bai Lin, which the organization is calling for to be “retired from work.”
In the shocking image that was published recently, the back of the female elephant appeared to be curved inward, in contrast to the natural hump of elephants in the form of a “dome”.
According to the British newspaper “Daily Mail”, the reverse curvature and the extent of damage to the spine, came as a result of decades of carrying a huge weight.
Elephant riding is a popular tourist activity in countries such as Thailand, and it is a very profitable business for tourism and excursion companies.
Organizations such as Wildlife Friends of Thailand have long campaigned to stop local tour operators from using the animals in this way, to no avail.
