A British woman named Holly, who has been living in Bali for some time, urged her social media followers to stop visiting zoos, elephant parks, and other places that position themselves as sanctuaries. According to her, wild animals deserve to live in the wild.
“Stop paying to see elephants as an attraction,” she appealed to tourists. “Elephants are not here for us to gawk at, and they certainly aren’t here for us to ride. We shouldn’t, damn it, be riding elephants—it’s 2024… Instagram is not more important than the well-being of these damn animals.”
However, not everyone supported her. Some users questioned what would happen to the wild animals living in such sanctuaries if funding were to stop.
Nigel Mason, the owner of one of the parks, refuted this harsh criticism of elephant parks. He explained that his establishment has been providing rescued elephants with a home since 1997 and undergoes regular inspections to meet the standards set by the Asian Captive Elephant Standards (ACES).
“They use over 200 criteria to evaluate us. They don’t just assess the elephants, they check the staff as well—they want to know how we manage the company, whether our employees are treated well and paid fairly,” he added.
Mason stated that many endangered animals cannot survive in their natural habitats due to population growth, human activity, urban expansion, and deforestation.
He noted that all the animals had been rescued from camps in Sumatra, where they were endangered. “They wouldn’t be here if we hadn’t saved them. They need protection. It’s easy to say, ‘Oh, they should all be in the wild.’ Of course, they should be in the wild. But many of these species have disappeared from the wild, especially in places like Sumatra.”
Mason added that criticism of zoos and sanctuaries has always existed and always will, and he has become accustomed to it. However, he believes it is important for such parks to always maintain proper standards. He advised tourists to only visit reputable sanctuaries with a good track record.
Though a quick search of reviews from tourists who have visited his sanctuary raises doubts. On one hand, many praise the opportunity to walk through a lush, relatively clean area and see elephants up close, but on the other hand, some highlight concerns that the animals are mistreated to make them follow commands, especially when visitors want to ride them. Allegedly, the elephants are hit on the head and their ears are pulled harshly. Some also noted that this place cannot truly be called a sanctuary or safari park. While the elephants appear clean and well-fed, according to travelers, they are still there to entertain visitors.
Meanwhile, Mason claims that his staff do not use punishment during training. In fact, he said they fired six mahouts due to concerns about their behavior, as the park has a strict policy of dismissing any employee who displays cruelty to animals.
The ethics of Bali’s “sanctuaries” are regularly debated. In 2018, American star Kim Kardashian came under fire from animal rights activists for riding an elephant for a photo.
In 2022, another photo sparked outrage online, showing two other non-celebrity tourists riding an elephant in Nigel Mason’s park (Elephant Safari Park Lodge Bali). That scene was labeled cruel, and the World Animal Protection group released a review of wildlife parks in Bali.
In a 2023 report published by World Animal Protection Australia, it was stated that no places in Bali meet the basic needs of elephants, tigers, or dolphins kept there.
Regarding Mason’s park, the report stated: “The park has shown some minor signs of improvement, but their efforts remain too minimal to be called ethical.”
The animals themselves don’t always cope either. Not long ago, in the Bali Safari and Marine Park, an elephant fatally attacked its handler. The cause of the sudden aggression remains unknown, and the investigation is ongoing. One theory suggests the mahout was riding the elephant when the animal became enraged.
In reviews of Bali Safari and Marine Park, tourists expressed concern that attractions like elephant bathing and rides seem far from humane, noting that mahouts use iron hooks to control the animals when moving them from place to place. While tourists highlighted that most of the animals roam freely, some are still used for entertainment. It is not uncommon to see an elephant chained up.
After the tragic incident where the elephant attacked its handler, the elephant attraction was not closed. The enraged elephant was euthanized, but the remaining elephants continue to interact with visitors.
Sources: Yahoo!News, Detik.
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