The coronavirus pandemic has left many elephant owners in Asia without income from tourism. Resultantly, many owners in Thailand are opting to breed their elephants now whilst tourism is at a low in an attempt to use the offspring to generate future income.
Accounting for elephant’s gestation period, this will inevitably lead to a ‘baby boom’ at a time when the animal welfare movement is also trying to urge UNWTO and Asian governments to take the sustainable approach and break down the wildlife tourism industry across the region. Either outcome means catastrophe for many infant elephants.
Asia for Animals Coalition have supported a letter to the Thai government, imploring a temporary breeding ban. Spearheaded by World Animal Protection, this letter is co-signed by 300 concerned NGO’s. Read it HERE.