Elephants show sympathy: an emotional discovery in Thailand!

Elephants show sympathy: an emotional discovery in Thailand!

Koh Yao Elephant Care Centre, Thailand - A tragic incident in Thailand called for the life of a 22-year-old Spaniard that was attacked by an elephant during an excursion. The student was with her partner and other tourists in the "Koh Yao Elephant Care Center" and washed the elephants in a water when the attack took place. These popular attractions in which tourists can interact with the powerful animals are increasingly criticized, since the elephants often suffer from stress. According to the "El Mundo" newspaper, the elephant camp was temporarily closed after the incident, and the website is currently out of service to examine the circumstances of this incident, reported "The Thaiger".

stress and compassion in elephants

The elephants, who are often visited by tourists, often live in isolated conditions and have to show unnatural behavior, which can lead to considerable stress. Animal rights activists have found that the constant interaction with people is stressful for the animals and can cause unpredictable reactions in such situations. Interestingly, elephants also show remarkable compassion in other situations. It was observed in a wildlife park that Asian elephants stand aside when one of them is afraid or stress. They calm each other with touches with their trays or special noises that can be interpreted as comforting words, the children's newspaper reports. This behavior shows that elephants have far more empathy than was known before.

The knowledge that elephants can perceive the feelings of their peers and react to them are of enormous importance for their protection. In view of the growing threat to their habitats and poaching, it is important to understand the sympathy of these animals in order to improve future protective measures. As a society, we not only have to think about these tragedies, but also how we can help the elephants, which often serve as tourist attractions, as seen in the tragic case in Thailand.