Elephant Tours

[pwarbi]

While elephant rides does seem to be a popular tourist experience, I'm not sure if I'd be all that comfortable and I'd like to ask just how well the elephants are looked after.

I understand that its their way of making money, so the elephants will be fed and cleaned, but surely carrying people around all day is bordering on cruelty or is that simply not the case and the elephants enjoy the human interaction?

 

[OursIsTheFury]

Oh man, I've always wanted to ride elephants. Such majestic creatures, I'd feel like a soldier from the middle ages, who used to ride elephants to battle. Kinda awesome if you think about it, huh? I think it's fairly common as tourist attractions, I don't think you have to jump through hoops to get it. I mean, in Africa, all you do is sign a paper and you can literally hunt down lions for fun. It's sick, but if they allow it, surely riding on an elephant is a tier down on the list.

 

[briannagodess]

Hi! Here's a few places that I can recommend to you:

• Bandavgarh in Madhya Pradesh. You can actually tour the safari in the back of the elephant for at least an hour or two in here. Aside from that, there are reported tiger sightings in here too. The affordability of the place as compared to other safaris makes it a popular choice for tourists as well.

• Corbett National Park. You also tour the park at the back of an elephant. You can see the tiger reserve in the park as well. It is a tour though that goes for days and you may opt to ride an elephant for some days or not.

• Muthanga Wildlife Sanctuary in Kerala. This one is advertised by the government itself so you're quite sure that the owners treat the elephants well. You may spot tigers, deers and monkeys on your ride as well as some rare species of birds.

Elephant riding is a major issue in India. Although there are some reported incidents of abuse to these lovely elephants, we cannot deny that some owners still take proper care of these creatures. However, you must find reputable tours that make sure that their elephants are well-fed and not overworked. It's such a conflicting issue since on one hand, we don't want to abuse the animals but on the other hand, these tours give the safari parks the money they need to conserve these wild animals.