The Painting Elephant
Baby Elephant Painting an Elephant
It is heartbreaking that many people continue posting videos and photos of baby elephants painting a picture on their social media pages including comments of adoration and cuteness. It is obvious that the posters are simply uninformed of the abuse the animal has suffered in order to train it to perform. Yes, it is amazing that this beautiful and gentle creature is intelligent enough to paint a picture. Humans can paint pictures, but are not beaten into submission so that they will pick up the brush.
Babies used for entertainment purposes are taken from their families at very young ages to be trained to perform in the tourism industry. Often members of their family are slaughtered in the process. If the family survives, the mother and other family members, as well as the baby that was taken from them, can become extremely depressed and may even die.
After the baby is captured, it is put through the training process called the 'phajaan' or 'crush' that is centuries old and is still used throughout Asia today. It involves taking a baby from its mother's side and roping it into a small bamboo cage in which it cannot move except to breathe. Of course the elephant fights for its freedom and is beaten, poked with sharp bamboo, starved, dehydrated, and sleep-deprived until it submits to its captors' demands. The process may take a week, depending on how long it takes to 'crush' the elephant's spirit. About 50% of the babies die from the process. The survivors are left with physical and emotional scars and are then forced to live in isolation from other elephants for the rest of their lives. When not performing, they are chained to a tree or to a concrete floor. It is truly horrific.
The demand for elephant paintings comes mostly from China, Japan, Europe and the US, and the motivation from the Thai people is purely financial since a single painting can fetch several thousand dollars. I hope that most people would not acquire an elephant painting when informed of this process, regardless of how amazing it seems that an elephant actually created it.
It is imperative that we take the time to educate those who may not know about the abuse this animal has suffered. It is up to us to save these animals not create more demand for tourism to Asia with the purpose of buying elephant paintings. We must stop the demand so that the painting elephant no longer makes them money. The baby elephants will continue to suffer as long as we support this practice. Please share this information with everyone you know and even with those you don't know.
"Love them, but leave them wild."
