Durban - An animal charity has accused international travel organisation Thomas Cook of continuing to promote “cruel” elephant rides.
The World Animal Protection organisation has called on the holiday company to stop offering tours for customers and is urging people to sign a petition on its website to force the tourism business to act.
Sixty-three companies around the world have already committed that they would never again sell elephant rides or shows, including TUI Nederland, Intrepid Travel, Apollo, Albatros Travel and World Expeditions.
World Animal Protection claims Thomas Cook has been approached several times in the past two months to sign the petition, but has not responded.
A spokesperson for the charity said: “The group claim on their website that they care deeply about animal welfare.
“However, they still sell tours to a number of venues that promote animal abuse in Thailand, India and Zimbabwe.
“The group’s claim that they are no longer offering elephant rides and shows to customers across their markets, including the UK, is simply untrue.
“World Animal Protection has a dossier of evidence gained over the past three months that proves the group is still selling cruel elephant rides and shows to customers in the UK.
“Sadly, despite our repeated attempts to work in partnership with Thomas Cook to end the cruel use of elephants for entertainment, they are yet to take global action. Only last week, their group’s head of corporal social responsibility admitted he was struggling to get ‘buy-in’ on this issue from the company board.”
Thomas Cook refuted the claim and said that the group were not selling elephant rides or shows in “any markets” in which they operate.
“We are surprised to learn of the accusations made by World Animal Protection against the Thomas Cook Group as we have been in talks with the charity and believed they were aware of our responsible animal welfare policy,” said the spokesperson.
“Thomas Cook stopped offering elephant excursions to our British and northern European customers some time ago, and our businesses on the continent, including Germany, have also removed elephant excursions from their programmes.
“Although some excursion details featured in earlier printed brochures, we can confirm that these trips are no longer available to customers.”
About 3 000 elephants are said to be suffering in captivity at tourist attractions.
The confined elephants are subject to cruel training and are isolated, starved and beaten, World Animal Protection claims.
The great trauma they endure stays with them throughout their lives and can leave them suffering post-traumatic stress disorder, apart from physical pain, it adds.
Kate Nustedt, the director of wildlife at World Animal Protection, said: “We are shocked that an international name like Thomas Cook is behind the curve on animal welfare and appears unwilling to end the promotion of cruel elephant rides in all its markets.”
Sunday Tribune