On a recent holiday to the island of Bali, splashed across the media, the Kardashian family, including sisters Kim, Khloe & Kourtney, was featured spending time with endangered elephants.
With the usual photographers and camera crews in tow this could have been a goodwill mission, a photo op to send the much needed message to protect and save the Asian elephant. Instead Kim Kardashian chose to ride atop a beaten-into-submission elephant that adorns and entertains guests at a supposed-to-be-concerned-about-elephants sanctuary place*.
Image: CC Flickr by MyAlexis : Kim Kardashian in white lace dress
*And where exactly is this place? It was not disclosed but look at photo # 17, (at The Daily Mail article “Kim Kardashian wears a bikini to ride an elephant in Bali…“) the one with Kourtney Kardashian in neon green bikini astride another elephant. You can see the back of a t shirt naming a certain “elephant sanctuary” and lodge. One would assume this t shirt bears the name of the offending elephant ride / performing elephant tourist trappy place.
Sadly, the term “elephant sanctuary” would not apply here. For what reputable elephant sanctuary would keep chains on their elephants or allow tourists to ride upon their elephants’ backs?
Image: CC Flickr Travelin Librarian Michael Sauers : Similar Asian Elephant at a Bali Tourist Park Notice the chains on elephant’s legs
For this reason Kim Kardashian’s response to naysayers (RE riding an elephant) via Twitter, The Dodo’s Kristen Warfield reported, held little weight to those elephant advocates and elephant activists who are truly informed & understand the suffering that tourist attraction riding elephants endure to break their wild elephant, natural instincts down.
It is so mean (the training methods) and it is aptly named: the crush.
Crushing an elephant’s spirits, beating the elephant into submission. And for what? To twirl a hula hoop for a human audience or to give a human a ride upon their back.
Image: CC Flickr Travelin Librarian Michael Sauers : 2 elephants, similar Asian Elephant at a Bali Tourist Attraction
If any of these performing elephants / riding elephants were trained before a public audience people would be appalled. Then they would understand. Training elephants for any form of human entertainment is unethical & so wrong.
That is why when Kim Kardashian says she did “full research” on the “elephant sanctuary” she visited on holiday with her family Kim still does not grasp what she is not being told.
The old saying goes; it is what you don’t know that will hurt you. Sadly, in this case the only souls being hurt are the elephants.
Rescuing an elephant for any other reason than to help them to live again as an elephant is just not right.
Kim Kardashian, are you listening?
Image: CC Flickr by celebrityabc : Elephant filming with Kardashian Family Members Kris Jenner & Kendall Jenner on a similar holiday in 2014
Resource & for all photos see: “Kim Kardashian wears a bikini to ride an elephant in Bali… before taking a break to snuggle with Saint” by DailyMail.com Reporter
Image: CC Flickr similar Asian elephant at a Bali Safari Park by Michael Sauers (notice chains around elephant’s legs) & 2 elephants ; Kim Kardashian white lace dress 2012 by MyAlexis, Elephant filming with Kardashian Family Members Kris Jenner & Kendall Jenner on a similar holiday in 2014 by celebrityabc
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