Stand up for elephants

April, 2018

Stand Up For Elephants is a young association located in Nepal, on the edge of Chitwan Park. In this tourist spot, elephants were snatched from the wild in the 80s to meet the tourist demand and walk humans on their backs.

Noting that the elephant ride activity causes great suffering, both physical and mental, for the pachyderms, Annik, a Belgian, Floriane, a French and Michael, a Canadian, have joined forces to improve their living conditions, and raise tourist’s awareness to their fate.

The SU4E association allows elephants to have medicinal treatments (vitamins intake, wound disinfection ...) and regular care (pedicure for example) thanks to the expertise of the association (Floriane is a veterinary assistant specializing in elephants cares).

The association also offers hours of freedom to elephants, who take advantage of these moments to be able to do what they can not during their long days of intensive "walks": scratching, bathing, taking dust showers, or simply rest in the shade of trees, in front of tourists sensitized to their cause.

These "Elephant Happy Hours" are more and more chosen by holidaymakers in place of elephant rides, becoming more and more aware that this activity is not a pleasure for mounts. Indeed, one just got to open the eyes to see the chains that hinder the feet, the hooks mahouts (guards elephants) use to coerce the animal, and the eyes full of sadness of the elephants to realize that supporting this cruel exploitation is not the best idea for a good holiday.

Carrying out long-term, substantive work with an ethically responsible approach, the association works closely with the elephant owners. It offers training to mahouts to teach them to better know their working partner and take more care.

It is also planning the construction of large enclosures to allow elephants to be freed from their chains during rest periods. For this, the association needs donations!

To learn more about this association, here is the link to their website, and here is their Facebook page.