What you should know about the dark side of Thailand's elephant tourism

A baby elephant all tied up during a training process known as ‘the crush’, which is said to make it submissive enough to interact with tourists. — World Animal Protection/Reuters

Undercover videos obtained for an investigation into alleged animal cruelty shows baby elephants in Thailand taken from their mothers, then exposed to abusive training methods to perform tricks for tourists, a wildlife charity said.

World Animal Protection has released footage filmed secretly at several camps at undisclosed locations between December 2018 and January 2020, showing distressed mothers and babies pulled apart, and the young elephants enduring isolation and physical and mental trauma.