Intrepid urges agents to take the pledge against elephant riding

Tourist watching an elephant crossing a river in the Chobe National Park in Botswana, Africa; Concept for travel safari and travel in Africa
By Alexandra Coulton


Intrepid has released a mini-documentary for World Elephant Day, asking travel agents to pledge their support to end elephant riding.

New research commissioned by World Animal Protection has found that more than a quarter (28 per cent) of Australians have taken an elephant ride.

It’s no longer a secret that elephants at tourism venues across Thailand and Bali often endure ongoing physical and psychological abuse during training to make them submissive enough to give rides and perform tricks.

The saddest part about that is, most people participate in these activities because they love animals and want to see them up close.

Tourists crossing a Thailand river riding on elephant backs

To raise awareness of the cruelty behind elephant riding, Intrepid Group is asking agents to donate $1 to The Intrepid Foundation to support the cause.

Plus, if you do choose to donate, you could win an Intrepid trip to Thailand to visit rehabilitated elephants!

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The new mini-documentary released by the adventure travel company shows graphic footage of the torture of young elephants for rides, in a plea to travellers to stop the tourist attractions for good.

“I was the first ever Intrepid leader, so I guess I was the first Intrepid leader to take travellers on elephant rides,” Intrepid Group co-founder Geoff Manchester said.

Intrepid Group was the first travel company to ban elephant rides in 2014 following research collaboration with World Animal Protection and many in the travel industry followed suit.

The confronting documentary highlights the practice of beating and starvation to make the elephants submissive for human rides.

“When we rescue elephants some of them have worked for humans for six or seven decades… More than 80 per cent arrive with a huge mental problem. Some of them stand still like a zombie, some of them are very aggressive and angry,” Elephant Nature Park Chiang Mai founder Lek Chailert said.

“I don’t blame people because they don’t know,” Chailert added.

This is the message Intrepid is urging on World Elephant Day – you didn’t know.

Consumer sentiment and awareness is not at the level it should be, Manchester said, and on World Elephant Day Intrepid pleads with travellers to cease elephant riding for good.

“It’s just the start of something that will hopefully eventuate in elephant riding ceasing all together and that might be in 10 years or it might be in 20 years but eventually it will happen,” Manchester added.

You can watch the mini-documentary below but be warned, there is some graphic content that just about broke our hearts.

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