Painful video shows a malnourished elephant forced to do cruel circus tricks

A horrible video of a malnourished elephant being forced to perform to an empty arena is making the rounds on social media. The images shown in the video might be distressing, and people are asking for the perpetrators to receive the full weight of the law.

The video, recorded at a zoo in Thailand by a visitor, shows the despicable moment when an elephant is forced to do the trick despite its poor physical condition. The animal is seen balancing on two wooden tables and then walking back and forth through a tight metal rope, as a small audience witnesses the act, since most people reject that type of entertainment.

Even though the Samut Prakan Crocodile Farm and Zoo ensure that all of its animals are in good condition, the elephant of the video seems looks malnourished, as its bones, especially the ribs, pelvis, and shoulders are very noticeable under its saggy skin.

The animal’s poor condition caught the attention of one visitant, who decided to record a video and share the situation with the world, hoping to get help for the animal. The visitant, who preferred to remain anonymous said:

“I've been visiting the zoo for a long time because I like to look at the animals. But when I visited last week, I was upset when I saw one of the elephants. The elephant looked so thin and weak. I felt so sorry for him. I think he needs help.”

And added, “I don't want to say anything bad about the zoo, because they might be problems and cannot afford to look after the elephant. I would like people to help the elephant."

THE ZOO'S RESPONSE

The crocodile farm was built in 1950 as the first crocodile farm in Thailand. It expanded rapidly to include different animals and is now the largest crocodile farm in the world with over 60,000 crocodiles of different kinds living in it.

Locals said the zoo was once famous, but in recent years the crowds have dwindled, and many shows are now empty.

The Samut Prakan Livestock Development Office visited the zoo after receiving many concerned calls about the elephant, but the manager, Uthen Yangprapakorn, allegedly insisted that the elephant is doing good like the rest of the animals.

He revealed that the five elephants that the zoo owns, went through a health check up on December 4, and also stated that the elephant on the video is on a diet to prevent it from becoming fat. Elephants with high body fat have higher possibilities of being on mating season and can be pretty aggressive.

AN ELEPHANT WAS ELECTROCUTED ON SAMUT PRAKAN

An elephant was electrocuted while being led by its owner to beg in a Samut Prakan street after it accidentally fell into a road drain and broke the power cord of a restaurant sign.

Rescuers from the Portecktueng Foundation first arrived at the site and used a crane to lift the elephant from the drain. The rescuers attempted to resuscitate the elephant by giving him an injection to reanimate its heart and other procedures.

But after two hours, the 20 veterinarians and rescuers involved declared the majestic animal dead.

Phansa Yanamkham, 15, the elephant’s owner, was arrested and charged with moving an elephant out of its province without permission, said Suraphan Noisa-ard, chief of the Bang Phli Livestock Development Office.