Elephant rides to be banned at Angkor Wat from 2020 Posted on 14 June 2019 Tags:Cambodia, elephant 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.’ #GoodNews – #Elephant rides to stop at Angkor Wat in #Cambodia by 2020. The 14 elephants will no longer be forced to work at the Angkor Wat Temple where over 2.5 million international tourists visit each year. They will all be transferred to a conservation & breeding center pic.twitter.com/rMwfP1NJRO — WCFF (@WCFF_org) June 10, 2019 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. 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://t.co/wblJuOH42X We will report on further developments & keep pressing for a ban on brutal ads. pic.twitter.com/x45NixYyJB — Save The Asian Elephants (@stae_elephants) June 12, 2019 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. [📷https://t.co/wW8OeEBtv8] pic.twitter.com/dXNlp77NFg — PETA UK (@PETAUK) June 11, 2019 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.’ Image credit: Unsplash Also read: Greece bans heavyweights from donkey rides Related Posts Cape Town’s sustainability: Leading the way in environmental initiatives 1 June 2023 As National Environmental Month commences in South Africa, Cape Town stands proudly at the forefront... read more Kapama to host Safari Guide of the Year Awards 2023 1 June 2023 Kapama Private Game Reserve near Hoedspruit will host this year’s Safari Guide of the Year... read more Blood Lions relaunches for public viewing on YouTube 1 June 2023 Award-winning documentary feature film Blood Lions has been relaunched on YouTube for public viewing, creating... read more PREV ARTICLE NEXT ARTICLE
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