CAMBODIA: Angkor Wat, The Cruel Elephant Rides Banned From 2020

Cambodia's most popular tourist attraction is set to ban the elephant rides.The rides have been a fixture at the Angkor Wat temple complex in Siem Reap for years but opposition against it has been building in recent years.

The 14 elephants will be retired and transferred to a conservation and breeding centre by early next year, The Angkor Elephant Group Committee said.

In early 2020, our association plans to end the use of elephants to transport tourists. They can still watch the elephants and take photos of them in our conservation and breeding centre.

We want the elephants to live in as natural a manner as possible, said Oan Kiry, director of the Angkor Elephant Group Committee.

In 2016, and again in 2018, an elephant collapsed and died at Angkor Wat, causing a backlash against elephant rides which has seen their popularity dwindle over time.

The move has been welcomed by animal rights groups.

The end of elephant rides at Angkor Wat is truly a watershed moment that shows the tide is turning against cruel wildlife tourism. More and more tourists no longer want to pay to see animals in chains or captivity, and attractions where elephant riding continues, need to ban these rides if they are to stay in favour with tourists and animal lovers, said campaign group Moving Animals.

Cambodia has a population of about 500 elephants still living in the wild, mostly in Keo Seima Wildlife Sanctuary and in the Cardamom Mountains.

Elephant rides at Cambodia’s largest tourist attraction, Angkor Wat, will be banned from 2020. Over 2.5-million people visit the iconic religious site annually and 14 elephants transport many of the visitors between temples.

The Angkor Elephant Group Committee has confirmed that by 2020 the 14 Angkor Wat elephants will be moved to a conservation and breeding centre.

‘In early 2020, our association plans to end the use of elephants to transport tourists’ Oan Kiry, Director of the Angkor Elephant Group Committee, told The Phnom Penh Post. ‘They can still watch the elephants and take photos of them in our conservation and breeding centre. We want the elephants to live in as natural a manner as possible.’

The rides at Angkor Wat first attracted international attention three years ago when a female elephant carrying two tourists, one at a time, between two temples collapsed and died from exhaustion. Two years later another elephant suffered the same fate, sparking outrage and international outcry about the treatment of these ellies.

After the second death a petition to stop the elephants from ferrying tourists got over 14,000 signatures within 48 hours.

Save The Asian Elephants

STAE is delighted to reiterate that the awful Angkor Wat resort in Cambodia is planning to drop the use of elephants in tourism. The horrors include this tragic incident: https://ind.pn/2WvXCat
We will report on further developments & keep pressing for a ban on brutal ads.

The announcement has been welcomed by many animal rights groups including People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) and Save The Asian Elephants (STAE).

BIG NEWS: The use of elephants in Angkor Wat is due to end in 2020, meaning retirement for all the elephants who are forced to give rides at Cambodia's famous tourist attraction.

According to Unilad, ‘It’s believed there are still around 70 domesticated elephants in Cambodia, while experts believe there are roughly 500 in the wild.’


Tourism Observer