Watch the moment the exhausted baby elephant collapses on the streets of Pattaya in the video below.
Video credit: Daily Mail
A video clip of a baby elephant collapsing on the streets of Thailand is breaking the heart of internet users after it emerged online last week.
The one-year-old elephant calf tied to its mother got terribly exhausted as the mother elephant gave rides to tourists in Pattaya, eastern Thailand.
The neck of the baby elephant was tied to the mother with a small rope.
In the heart-wrenching clip captured by a tourist, the baby can be seen rolling on the ground as it walks the Nong Nooch Tropical Gardens in temperatures as high as 40C.
The young guy then musters some strength to stand up and continue its journey with the adult elephant.
According to the concerned tourist, who sought anonymity, the baby looked badly exhausted from its tiring routine of walking the streets with its mother.
‘There are many more baby elephants tied with their mother walking around with tourists at their backs enjoying under the heat of the sun while these elephants are suffering,’ she said.
The tourist, who is a Filipino migrant currently working as a teacher in neighboring Myanmar, was on a vacation to Thailand with a group of her friends.
‘This one baby elephant was so exhausted, and you can see the mother comforting and encouraging her to stand,’ she added.
‘I’m just concerned for the elephants and want to ensure their welfare is properly taken care of.’
After the incident sparked outrage, a spokesperson for the Nong Nooch Tropical Gardens released a statement, denying that the baby was exhausted or being mistreated.
‘All of the elephants are healthy and treated very well,’ the statement said. ‘If there is a problem they are treated by vets. All of the babies here are healthy.’
In a similar incident, a three-year-old elephant calf died while performing at a show in Phuket, southern Thailand, earlier this month.
Nicknamed Dumbo, the baby elephant had become so skeletal and weak over time that its back legs got snapped during the act.
Though the three-year-old was rushed to a veterinary clinic by its keepers, the unfortunate animal passed away after three days.
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