PRÁTICA DA LÍNGUA INGLESA I
Read the text below about elephant tourism and its consequences to these animals.
Elephant tourism is fuelling cruelty
By Claire Marshall BBC Environment Correspondent
Millions of people want selfies riding elephants, or washing them, or patting their trunks. But according to a study carried out by World Animal Protection (WAP) across Asia this is helping to fuel a rise in elephants captured from the wild and kept for entertainment. The number in Thailand has increased by almost a third over the last five years.
1 WAP researchers assessed almost 3,000 elephants and found that more than three quarters were living in "severely cruel" conditions. Many were bound with chains less than 3m long and were forced to stand on concrete floors close to loud roads, crowds and music.
2 Some 160 travel companies have already committed to stop selling tickets to or promoting venues offering elephant rides and shows. In 2016, TripAdvisor announced that it would end the sale of tickets for wildlife experiences where tourists come in to direct contact with wild animals, including elephant riding.
3 Dr Jan Schmidt-Burbach, a veterinary adviser at World Animal Protection (WAP), said: "The cruel trend of elephants used for rides and shows is growing - we want tourists to know that many of these elephants are taken from their mothers as babies, forced to endure harsh training and suffer poor living conditions throughout their life.
4 "There is an urgent need for tourist education and regulation of wildlife tourist attractions worldwide. Venues that offer tourists a chance to watch elephants in genuine sanctuaries are beacons of hope that can encourage the urgently-needed shift in the captive elephant tourism industry," he concludes.
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Read the following list of cruelty that can be addressed to elephants:
(I) they are exposed to noise.
(II) they go on long hours of rides.
(III) they have their tusks removed.
(IV) they stand on inadequate ground.
(V) they have restriction of movement.
According to WPA researchers, the most common cruel conditions elephants undergo are: