Animals will always be used by humans for income, especially in lower income countries. It it sad that "I love animals" and "I love interacting with animals" usually mean opposite things, because interacting with animals usually means mistreating them in some way. However, elephants and large cats are expensive animals to care for. Without making them engaging for patrons, their caretakers wouldn't be able to afford to look after the animals. Of course, that doesn't make every action every person does with them okay. But, in some respect, we do need to take advantage of animals (of their cuteness, their reputation, and/or their ability to do tricks) in order to save them.
I like to look at how animals are treated in relation to my dog at home. I searched dozens of elephant sanctuaries before finding one that care for their animals well-being. These caretakers in Thailand that we met used positive reinforcement. They gave the elephants treats when they did good things, and the elephants would do more things to get treats. The trainers did not carry anything that would harm the elephant. They instructed the elephants with a harsh tone when they were doing something wrong, then followed it up with a command to do something good, and a treat when the elephant followed through. The thing about punishment, that most trainers can tell you, is that punishment is removed, the animal will not listen. There were no punishments that we witnessed on any animal that we saw, and they did listen. The most controversial thing I did on this trip was ride an elephant. There is a huge outcry for how it is bad for the elephant to be ridden. At the elephant rescue, we were told that elephants are fine to be ridden bareback and only on their shoulder, not their back. We were reinforced to make sure we were not riding them too far back, as that would hurt them. When we rode the elephants, they did what they wanted to do. We rode them while they ate, and we had hardly any control in where they went. They were kept on a path and needed to keep moving forward. It was a very slow task, but it was enjoyable by the elephants, who loved being out and able to forage, as well as for me, who loves watching elephants explore the ground with their trunk, and pick it up. Overall, there's a sad reason that less cute animals go extinct, while cuddly-looking panda bears are no longer endangered. In order to protect an animal, people need funding to care for the animals. And in order to get funding, people have to care. In a perfect world animals could thrive without human intervention, but that is simply not the world we live in. There were plenty of places that mistreated the animals in Thailand for tourist dollars. I spent time finding one that truly wanted the best for their animals. They exploit their animals, yes, but they have the animal's best interest in mind.
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AuthorHi! I'm Amber. I love spreadsheets and painting. This blog is where I post about my crafts and adventures. Archives
November 2018
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