Elephants and tourism.

Schmidt-Burbach, Jan

doi:10.1079/9781786391858.0112

Cited by 6 publications

(17 citation statements)

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“…Asian elephants have been used for work for several thousand years and they have a significant cultural-heritage value [ 6 ]. The rise in the Asian elephant tourism industry, particularly in Thailand, relates to the timing of the international ban on logging in 1989 [ 7 ]. The tourism industry has expanded to become a significant source of income generation across Asia, particularly in Thailand [ 6 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The tourism industry has expanded to become a significant source of income generation across Asia, particularly in Thailand [ 6 ]. In South and Southeast Asia, it is now estimated that over 3000 elephants are used in tourism [ 7 ]. In southern Africa there is no history of using trained elephants as a workforce, and the cultural heritage that is seen in Asian countries is absent [ 6 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Activities in which tourists can engage with elephants may include observing, walking with, feeding, bathing or riding elephants [ 10 ]. In recent years a positive shift has been reported in attitudes and behaviours of tourists towards the use of elephants in tourism [ 11 ], and tourism operators are also encouraging more responsible elephant tourism (e.g., [ 12 ]). Despite this, there are still a number of welfare concerns for elephants used by the tourism industry.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Despite this, there are still a number of welfare concerns for elephants used by the tourism industry. Reports have highlighted elephants being kept in conditions which do not fulfill basic needs and which may involve physical restrictions, such as chaining [ 7 ]. The need for improvements in husbandry, which consider the physiological and psychological needs of elephants including social, nutritional and environmental needs, has been highlighted [ 5 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Behaviour and Welfare Impacts of Releasing Elephants from Overnight Tethers: A Zimbabwean Case Study

Williams

Clark

Rendle-Worthington³

et al. 2022

Animals

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Within the southern African elephant tourism industry, chaining or tethering elephants is still a relatively routine practice, despite the known negative impacts. Cited reasons for chaining include fear of aggressive interactions between elephants when handlers are absent, or a general increase in expression of aggressive behaviours (both to other elephants and to their human handlers). In Zimbabwe, concerns expressed include the danger of elephants escaping and entering human-inhabited areas. Four male semi-captive elephants at a Zimbabwe tourist facility were taken off overnight (~12 h) tethers and were placed in small pens (‘bomas’), approximate sizes from 110 m2 to 310 m2), as part of a strategy to improve elephant welfare. Behavioural data were collected from overnight videos from December 2019 to March 2020, between 18:00 to 06:00, using focal, instantaneous sampling (5-min interval). Data were collected for three nights at three time periods: (i) Tethered; (ii) approximately four weeks post-release; (iii) approximately eight weeks post-release. Behavioural change over these time points was analysed using general linear models with quasibinomial error structures. Behavioural changes indicative of improved welfare were observed following these management changes, and no significant increases in aggression were observed either between elephants, or towards their human handlers. Proportion of time engaging in lying rest was higher in the first month after release from tethering (mean ± SD, 50 ± 14%) than when elephants were tethered (20 ± 18%) (p < 0.05). Additionally, although not statistically significant, stereotypies were reduced when elephants were no longer tethered (4 ± 6% observations tethered compared to 2 ± 2% off tethers), and positive social behaviour also increased (1 ± 1% on tethers, 2 ± 2% off tethers), with the greatest improvements seen in the pair-housed elephants. To improve elephant welfare in southern African tourism facilities we strongly advocate that less restrictive management practices which enable greater choice and freedom of movement overnight are implemented.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Behaviour and Welfare Impacts of Releasing Elephants from Overnight Tethers: A Zimbabwean Case Study

Williams

Clark

Rendle-Worthington³

et al. 2022

Animals

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“…Tourist satisfaction occurs when the actual experience matches or surpasses the expectations for the experience, resulting in an individual’s pleasurable feeling of fulfilment [ 16 , 17 ]. Tourist preference indicates visitors’ perceptions and judgements of an experience after an actual visitation, and can be positive, negative or neutral [ 18 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

How Tourist Preference and Satisfaction Can Contribute to Improved Welfare Standards at Elephant Tourism Venues in Thailand

Flower

Burns

Jones

2021

Animals

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Consumer satisfaction and preference can be integral in influencing and solidifying change in user-driven industries such as tourism. High satisfaction rates are imperative to the continual success of a venue as satisfaction determines the likelihood of repeat business and positive recommendations to friends, family and online review forums. Tourist preference for ecocentric tourism venues, over anthropocentric ones, appears to be increasing in elephant tourism venues (ETVs) in Thailand. To explore this, we visited twelve ETVs in Chiang Mai, Thailand, and compared the preferences and satisfaction of tourists who visited riding and non-riding venues toward the use of captive elephants in an entertainment setting. We found that tourists visited riding and non-riding ETVs for similar reasons, primarily due to recommendations from friends and reviews, and because the venue had a good reputation. Tourist preference for higher welfare standards was observed at venues where participants directly observed poor treatment of the elephants. Tourist satisfaction may be impacted by higher elephant welfare standards; therefore, tourists have the ability to influence the elephant tourism industry by demanding better living conditions for elephants and only financially supporting ETVs with higher welfare standards.

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Asian elephant calf physiology and mahout perspectives during taming in Myanmar

Crawley,

Nandar,

Zaw

et al. 2024

R. Soc. Open Sci.

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A quarter of Asian elephants are captive, with greater than 90% of these tamed and cared for by handlers (mahouts) in Asia. Although taming is a much-discussed welfare issue, no studies to our knowledge have empirically assessed its impact on calves, and dialogue surrounding taming often lacks perspectives of those involved. Here, we interviewed mahouts involved in taming and monitored five physiological measures (faecal glucocorticoid metabolites (FGMs), serum cortisol, glucose, creatine kinase (CK) and heterophil:lymphocyte (H:L)) over the first 10 days of taming and following six months in 41 calves undergoing taming and 16 control individuals. These measures assess the duration and intensity of stress during taming. Interviews suggested mahouts had major concerns for their safety when discussing changing taming practices, an important consideration for future management. Calf physiological measures were elevated by 50–70% (FGMs/cortisol/glucose), 135% (H:L) and greater than 500% (CK) over the first few days of taming, indicative of elevated stress, not seen to the same extent in control adults. Some measures stabilized sooner (glucose/cortisol/CK/FGM: 7–10 days) than others (H:L: one–two months), indicating mostly acute stress. Our findings inform the welfare of approximately 15 000 captive elephants around the world. Future studies should compare taming in different populations and consider calf and mahout welfare.

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Elephants and tourism.

Cited by 6 publications

References 0 publications

Behaviour and Welfare Impacts of Releasing Elephants from Overnight Tethers: A Zimbabwean Case Study

Behaviour and Welfare Impacts of Releasing Elephants from Overnight Tethers: A Zimbabwean Case Study

How Tourist Preference and Satisfaction Can Contribute to Improved Welfare Standards at Elephant Tourism Venues in Thailand

Asian elephant calf physiology and mahout perspectives during taming in Myanmar

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