Thailand is known for its tourism. They offer a lot of activities and programs for their visitors, including culture, food, fashion, sports, and entertainment.

Unfortunately, one of the famous tourist activities in Thailand is also one of the most abusive in the world.

We’re talking about using animals for entertainment and tourist activities.

When people ride elephants or watch them perform, they believe all is well. They believe that elephants enjoy doing these things.

But behind the glamour is one of the most abusive practices in Thailand.

The elephants that take part in these activities are locked up in chains when they’re not being used. They are hit with whips and sharp objects to make them obey.

Animal advocates and activists have fought for the freedom of elephants in Thailand regularly over the years. They have successfully won the fight for the freedom of several elephants.

These elephants now live in an elephant sanctuary, where they are free to roam and do what they want to do.

In July 2010, a group of animal advocates was able to successfully fight for the freedom of Khum Min.

“Khum Min is an Asian elephant species, one of the most endangered species in the world. When he was born, he was intended to be a trekker and lived in a mountain climbing camp. Sadly, instead of offering him a happy life, his mahout abused him in the camp,” Live Love Elephant reported.

Because he was born in this camp, he only knew a life of entrapment, abuse, and imprisonment.

He was not free to roam around in this camp. Instead, they chained him 24/7 and allowed him to move only when his mahout/minder told him to move.

This group of animal advocates fought to save him.

And one day, they came to take him away from this abusive camp. Khum Min never thought this day would ever come.

They removed his chains one by one, starting with the chains around his neck. And while the chains were removed, some of them kept caressing his trunk and reassuring him.

“You are a handsome guy, right? You will live a luxurious life,” they kept telling Khum Min.

It took a while but they were able to successfully remove all of the chains that kept Khum Min tied to a life of abuse and imprisonment.

Without anyone telling him, Khum Min took his first steps of freedom.

And, although he can’t talk to humans, we can definitely tell that he’s so happy and excited to roam and live free!

He now lives as part of a herd in the jungle around a remote Karen hill tribe village in northern Thailand.

Karen hill tribes are the largest ethnic minority group in Thailand. They live in areas along the Thailand-Myanmar border in mountainous highland areas.

There are Karen hill tribes who live in more remote areas. And they are the only tribe that works with elephants.

Khum Min is an Asian elephant species, one of the endangered species in the world. They hope that bringing him to the Karen hill tribe village will help preserve their species and breed more.

“Asian Elephants are an endangered species due to habitat loss and poaching. There are between 41,410 and 52,345 left in the wild,” Rowan Hetherington wrote on the YouTube caption.

Will you help save them?

Would you like to witness Khum Min’s first taste of freedom? Watch the video below.

Please SHARE this with your friends and family.

Source: RoHetherington, Live Love Elephant, Thailand Hill Tribe Holidays