WRITE TO THE PRIME MINISTER

Dear Prime Minister

I am shocked at reports government may betray pledges to ban advertising attractions abroad that torture elephants for tourism.

1,200 UK companies advertise 300 such places. Baby Asian elephants are brutally captured, isolated, starved, stabbed with hooks and broken for riding, selfies, tricks, reinforced by violence for life.

Numbers have crashed, much driven by UKs market. 40percent of our 2m tourists to India and Thailand in 2018 to 2019 planned elephant rides, 13m in Thailand alone in 2016, elephants worked to death.

Abused elephants attack and kill and also pass deadly viruses to humans in close confinement. This cruel trade involves much human trafficking. Numerous industry promises of change have proved empty.

New law is needed to steer the market to ethical tourism. Please confirm Govt supports the Animals (Low Welfare Activities Abroad) Bill due for a Second Commons Reading on 3 February 2023 and which will do much to protect Asian elephants from brutal tourism practices.

Send letter (with your name and address) to:

Rt Hon Rishi Sunak MP
Prime Minister
10 Downing Street
London
SW1A 2AA

Or send email to PM’s contact form: https://contact.no10.gov.uk/