I volunteered at an elephant santctuary in Thailand, they are trying to change the tourist industry for elephant sanctuaries.. most allow people to touch the elephants and it causes stress.. they offer a new way.. No touching and the elephants never have to worry about tourists touching them or bathing them.. Since they have always been in captivity and both tortured before, you can actually see the elephants smiling now.. as they have food, and a huge space, no lights and roam free in the forrest, and the grassy areas.

I never knew how they were treated in sancutaries until i volunteered at this one.

Since they were born into captivity it seems that it is the best option, they said if they released them into the wild they would die...

It breaks my heart to know this, and both were abused at babies... now they have each other and have a good home.

I refuse to go to zoo's or anything that exploits animals, and have told many people to not go to the elephant sanctuaries that allow touching .. i also found out at those ones, the caregivers of the elephants (the mahouts) , use knives to make the elephants comply and they say they are a sanctuary.. sickened me and is what motivated the individuals to open the one i was at.

Anyway great awareness in this article.