VISIT GENUINE SANCTUARIES ONLY

Genuine sanctuaries are those where elephants:

• Are rescued from existing service; not bred for tourism or captured from the wild
• Are free to roam and interact socially and are not chained or abused
• Do not have to give rides or perform tricks
• Are not subjected to the bullhook (or ankus), a wooden shaft with fierce iron hooks and spikes used to stab and rip baby and adult elephants in all their tenderest parts to terrify and subdue them to perform unnatural actions like rides, tricks and football
• Enjoy respectful and caring relationships with their mahouts, who are in turn adequately paid and supported
• Have access to professional veterinary care
• Are allowed to be elephants.

If a sanctuary permits visitors to feed or bathe elephants, suitable foodstuffs and clean appropriate waters must be provided; the animals must not be bathed for excessive periods merely to satisfy tourists.

We hope over time to build and publicise a list of good and respectable sanctuaries to assist you in choosing your holiday destination. Meanwhile do provide us with your feedback on any such places you visit

MPs

Through their diplomatic contacts with India and South East Asian countries, the UK government can influence change.

110 UK MPs signed a House of Commons motion (Early Day Motion 436 of 2014) on Asian elephants in the Parliamentary session that finished in March 2015. This link lists all the MPs who have signed the motion.

A later EDM (45 of 2015) sponsored by STAE garnered a similarly high number of MP supporters.

INDIAN PRIME MINISTER AND INDIAN HIGH COMMISSIONER IN LONDON

Please write to these key figures. In your letter you could make any of the following points:

• The survival and welfare of elephants in India is under serious threat
• Urge India to intensify its efforts to end the capture of elephants from the wild. Explain that you know this is illegal under Indian law but despite this it continues on a significant scale.
• Please urgently end Pajan – the brutal process of ‘taming’ wild elephants designed to break their spirit. Point out that this is damaging India’s good name
• Welfare standards for captive elephants used in tourist attractions, temples, processions and festivals are generally poor – most elephants are kept in isolation with inadequate food, water and shelter. Explain that you know that guidelines for the management of elephants have been in place since 2008 but stress that these are rarely observed in practice and also need to be strengthened
• Urge India to redouble its efforts to address the problems of human – elephant conflict.
• Say you support Save the Asian Elephants and ask them to collaborate with STAE