Elephant Entertainment or Awareness?

Elephants are awe-inspiring. They are the world’s largest land mammal. They live in families. They have emotions and communication methods. They are incredibly intelligent and pass this on from generation to generation. They are adaptable. And this list continues to grow as we learn more and more about these animals.

That is why every weekend Elephantopia shares a “Happy Weekend” elephant video, sharing the qualities of elephants with the world. It is our hope these videos will endear humans who may never get to see them in the wild, raising awareness about their habitat, their personalities, their lives.

But there is a fine line between elephant awareness and using elephants for human entertainment. We now know, that this video of a baby elephant playing in the ocean, is an entertainment video. Elephants do not naturally play in the ocean. The saltwater is harsh on their skin and eyes and there is no shade from the sun that reflects from the sand and water, burning their skin. Unfortunately, baby elephants are often kidnapped and used by humans to earn money by “playing” in the ocean for tourists. It was also brought to our attention that Knysna Elephant Park, where we posted this video from, has been accused by NSPCA of abducting baby elephants, which they have denied (read their official statement here). Although, it appears charges have been dropped against the park.

Regardless, Elephantopia does not condone any elephant for the use of entertainment because elephants are not entertainment. Elephants are animals deserving our respect and protection. In posting these videos each weekend, it is our intent to educate and raise awareness about these creatures, not to use them as entertainment for ourselves.

We hope you enjoy our Happy Weekend posts, that you share them with your friends and family and through these videos, your soul is awakened to this magnificent being: the elephant.

Until one has loved an animal, a part of one’s soul remains unawakened. ~Anatole France