Elephant crushing

show This article may be expanded with text translated from the corresponding article in Malayalam. (April 2018) Click [show] for important translation instructions. Machine translation like DeepL or Google Translate is a useful starting point for translations, but translators must revise errors as necessary and confirm that the translation is accurate, rather than simply copy-pasting machine-translated text into the English Wikipedia. Do not translate text that appears unreliable or low-quality. If possible, verify the text with references provided in the foreign-language article. You must provide copyright attribution in the edit summary accompanying your translation by providing an interlanguage link to the source of your translation. A model attribution edit summary Content in this edit is translated from the existing Malayalam Wikipedia article at [[:ml:]]; see its history for attribution. You should also add the template {{Translated page}} to the talk page. For more guidance, see Wikipedia:Translation.

Elephant crushing, or a training crush, is a method by which wild elephants can be tamed for domestication, using restriction in a cage, sometimes with the use of corporal punishment or negative reinforcement. This practice is condemned by a variety of animal-welfare groups as a form of animal cruelty.

The training crush[]

As reported in the 1999 UN Report Gone Astray, in Myanmar and Thailand the "training crush" method involves placing an elephant in a strong, large stall or cage, tied with ropes to keep the elephant from moving, including being unable to kick, raise or swing its head. This method is supposed to crush the elephant's spirit. Proponents argue that this allows the elephant to properly and safely learn the basic command "Still!" or "Quiet!", and enable it to adapt to its new environment.^[1]

National Geographic reports on the use of nails and sticks stabbed into the ears and feet of an elephant, the subject of a crush, in Thailand. Other reports cite the use of beatings with sticks, chains or bullhooks, sleep-deprivation, hunger, and thirst to "break" the elephant and make them submissive to their owners. It is not clear whether all training crushes involve the use of corporal punishment.^[2]

As quoted in Gone Astray, a 1967 report on a training crush, "An elephant born in captivity is brought up amongst human beings and its training is humane from the day it begins; but a wild beast parted from the herd and its mother must suffer agonies before its will is broken."^[1] As it is illegal to take elephants from the wild and the elephant identification system has now made it very difficult to bring in elephants illegally.

Thailand[]

Elephants working in the tourist trade, Chiang Rai, Thailand.

Working and performing elephants in Thailand are often poached from Myanmar and trafficked into Thailand.^[3] There are around 6,500 elephants currently living in Thailand, with around 2,500 of them being caught from the wild. Trafficked animals can be passed off as being locally reared, with birth and ownership documentation falsified.^[3]

Animal welfare advocates have called for better legislation and systems to document the origin of elephants in tourist camps and other locations across Thailand.^[3]

Undercover video footage taken in 2019 shows that elephant crushing is still commonly used in Thailand. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2020/06/25/baby-elephant-abuse-raises-concerns-thailands-tourism-practice/

Alternatives[]

Zoos, including those in countries such as the USA, used corporal punishment and negative reinforcement to train elephants until the mid-1970s.^{[citation needed]} A new technique with positive reinforcement, called protected contact or non-dominance is used in modern zoos. The new training uses rewards, not punishment to encourage the behavior of the animal toward the target behavior.

Another alternative is to use trained elephants (called Kumkis in India) to tame, train or chase wild elephants. This practice is widely used in countries such as India.

References[]

External links[]

• Elephant Abuse Charges Add Fuel to Circus Debate, Maryann Mott, National Geographic News, 6 April 2004