Elephants are enormous animals that are an enormous business for tourist destinations. Offering interactions such as shows, elephant rides, bathing or simply using them as photo props for selfies. World Animal Protection, an international non-profit animal welfare organization, has surveyed the tourism industry throughout Asia and counted over 3,800 captive elephants across many countries. The…

The year was 2001, and I was deep in the heart of Thailand’s rich rainforests. The air hung thick and heavy, while the sun scorched the earth. I bumped and crashed through the rich rainforest on the back of an elephant. I should have been ecstatic. I loved elephants and it was my dream to…