Witnessing the "Most Heartbreaking Dents" on Elephants' Backs in Thailand – Your 20 Minutes Could Ruin Their Entire Lives

▲ This elephant, named Nong Mai, had clearly visible "heartbreaking dents" on her back when she was first rescued, and her expression and posture were also very uneasy.'」?艘徽笞樱??淖纯龊枚嗔耍?茉谠扒?镒栽谏⒉健＃ㄍ迹?钆迦菽oris提供）

Reporter Lin Yuling / Exclusive Interview

Taiwanese girl Doris Lee (Doris) volunteered at Elephant World in Thailand and witnessed the "most heartbreaking dents" on their backs. She said that an elephant’s back is actually a very fragile part of its body, yet due to tourism demands, they are forced from a young age to carry ill-fitting iron chairs. Tourists might think, "I’m only riding it for 20 minutes!" But over time, day after day, year after year, even the strongest elephants can’t bear the weight, their backs begin to deform, and permanent indentations are left behind. Some even suffer from knees that can no longer bend, forcing them to sleep standing up.

▲ Some elephants even bear bullet holes and gunshot wounds, which is truly heartbreaking. (File photo / Photo by Reporter Chen Ziying)

ETtoday Travel Cloud has previously reported on the story of "Elephant World", whose mission is"Not to have elephants work for us, but for us to work for elephants."When Doris saw the news at the time, she immediately saved it, hoping that one day she could go to Thailand as a volunteer herself to understand the situation these elephants face. That goal came true this March.

For a full month, she lived among 24 elephants and also participated in two rescue operations.She personally witnessed that these elephants, used as tourist rides, had indelible indentations on their backs.Under normal, healthy conditions, an elephant’s back has a curved, hill-like shape. Their necks and trunks are very strong and can lift objects weighing up to 500 kilograms. But their backs are extremely fragile, and the chairs for carrying passengers are usually mounted on their backs, along with thick cloth and the weight of tourists. Over the years, their bodies become deformed and overburdened, yet they are still forced to work until the day they collapse.

▲ Doris spent a whole month with 24 elephants and learned a lot from them. (Photo / Provided by Doris Lee)

Elephants reach adulthood (sexual maturity) at around 9 years old, and most start carrying passengers at that age. It’s common to see elephants forced to work all the way up to 30, 40, or even 50 years old. In addition to the dented, deformed backs, some suffer from knees that can no longer bend, forcing them to sleep standing up. Many elephants are also violently trained and bear bullet hole wounds of various sizes, which are truly painful and heartbreaking to see.

Doris also said,that even after being rescued, these abused elephants need at least 1 to 2 years to recover, gradually returning to a "comparatively healthy" state,which is related to their digestive systems and long-term mental stress. But the dents on their backs or other scars are often permanent.

▲ On the day Nong Mai was rescued, she was still carrying an ill-fitting iron chair. (Photo / Provided by Doris Lee)

▲ Nong Mai’s back shows clear dents, and her deformed body and sorrowful expression are heartbreaking. (Photo / Provided by Doris Lee)

▲ After being rescued, Nong Mai rested for a while and showed obvious improvement in her expression. (Photo / Provided by Doris Lee)

So she wants to tell everyone:"Please, stop riding elephants!"Never think that just because you’re only riding for 20 minutes, you’re not contributing to the industry that ruins many elephants’ lives.If fewer people ride elephants, she believes local tourism models will gradually shift—perhaps offering experiences where tourists care for elephants and get to know these highly intelligent, unique creatures.

▲ %妓?荡笙笫欠浅Ｓ兄腔鄣亩?铮?惺焙蛞蚕嗟钡髌ぃ。ㄍ迹?钆迦菽oris提供）

"Elephant World" specializes in rescuing and housing elephants that have been overexploited. When visitors come here, they can help harvest corn, wash watermelons, cut grass for the elephants to eat, cook corn porridge and snacks for them, feed them by hand, and even bathe them in the river. The rescued elephants gradually relax both physically and mentally here. Although their memories and scars can’t be completely erased, they have a chance at a new life—and sometimes they might even playfully spray you with water from their trunks in the river.

▲ Even with past scars still visible, they may one day fade away slowly. (Photo / Provided by Doris Lee)

＊Elephant World (Elephants World)
Address: Wang Dong, Mueang Kanchanaburi District, Kanchanaburi, Thailand
Phone: +66 34 510 511
(The one-day Elephant World experience includes feeding elephants, bathing them, picking fruit, cooking porridge and making desserts for the elephants, and also includes lunch. The price is 2,500 Thai baht per person.)

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