The Knysna Elephant Park has distanced itself from allegations of animal abuse, insisting it does not “practise or condone this horrific behaviour”.
Earlier this week, the National Council of SPCAs (NSPCA) announced that it had laid animal cruelty charges against Elephants of Eden, the Knysna Elephant Park (KEP), their directors and management for cruelty to elephants.
The allegations were widely reported alongside graphic photos depicting young elephants being chained and beaten and also showing severely swollen limbs, with deep, open wounds.
“The calculated and premeditated cruelty of this nature that took place at this facility is a far cry from the loving sanctuary image that Elephants of Eden/Knysna Elephant Park like to portray,” Wendy Willson, National NSPCA Inspector said in a statement.
Until last year, Knysna Elephant Park and Elephants of Eden were under the same ownership, however Elephants of Eden has subsequently been sold.
A spokesperson from KEP told Tourism Update that while the pictures were taken at Elephants of Eden, the staff pictured were not employed by the park.
According to the spokesperson, the photos are of an incident that took place six years ago. “Once the abuse was discovered, the elephants were removed in an emergency action to KEP and given specialised veterinary care and placed in a safe environment.”
The role of elephants within the tourism industry has come under criticism, particularly because of the training required for elephants to submit to humans.
Elephant Voices, a global organisation that promotes the ethical management and care of elephants argues that elephants in this industry are often removed from their families and brutally trained. The organisation believes the training of elephants for commercial gain should be prohibited.
The sentiment is echoed by the NSPCA, which maintains that because of the size and intelligence of elephants, training these animals required force and is a “recipe for abuse”. “The captive elephant interaction industry is a form of tourism driven by greed and without any conservation benefit,” the NSPCA said in a statement.
The NSPCA also highlights the fact that there are currently no laws governing the methods used in the handling or training elephants in SA, and trainers and handlers do not require formal training.
KEP continues to offer elephant-back rides. At the time of publication, KEP had not responded to questions about the training methods employed at the facility.
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