2019-11-18 14:51 Wang Yiting [Global Network Travel Report] Recently, officials from Cambodia’s Angkor Wat and Siem Reap Regional Conservation Management Bureau announced that they will ban elephant riding activities in Angkor Wat starting from early 2020. Image source: Oriental

2019-11-18 14:51 Wang Yiting

[Global Network Travel Report] Recently, officials from the Cambodian Angkor Wat and Siem Reap Regional Conservation Management Bureau announced that they will ban elephant riding activities in Angkor Wat starting from early 2020.

Picture source: Oriental IC

According to the "AFP" report, Angkor Wat in the north of Siem Reap, Cambodia is a tourist attraction frequently visited by many tourists. In 2018, the number of foreign tourists exceeded 6 million. During this period, many tourists will choose to ride elephants to visit historical sites, but this is extremely controversial.

It is reported that in 2016, an elderly female elephant named Sambo transported tourists for 45 minutes in hot weather. Finally, she became exhausted and collapsed and died near the Angkor Wat temple. This incident prompted more than 180,000 people to petition on change.org to stop the project.

According to managers, it is no longer appropriate to use elephants for profit, and some elephants are old. It is reported that the park originally housed 14 elephants, five of which have been placed in the woods about 40 kilometers away from the temple.

In addition, according to research by Oxford University Wildlife Conservation Research Group, 550,000 wild animals still suffer from irresponsible tourist attractions around the world. According to the South China Morning Post, wildlife tourism still attracts 110 million tourists every year.

Editor-in-Chief: Wang Yiting

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