As he continued his Royal tour of China, Prince William visited an animal sanctuary in Yunnan Province. His visit was marred by embarrassment after it was revealed by Sky News that elephants were being forced to perform for tourists very close to the sanctuary.
It was revealed that as Prince William was photographed with an elephant, others just yards away were waiting in enclosures with their legs shackled. The performance, which Sky News spent a length of time at, saw tourists sitting on the elephants trunks as well as riding on them. Some of the animals were wearing giant spectacles, balancing on tiny stools and even kicking around footballs.
One of the main aims of Prince William’s last day in China was to learn more about the country’s role in fighting the illegal trade in wildlife. As Patron of Tusk Trust, this is a passion of Prince William’s though when asked by Sky News if he was aware of the elephant entertainment happening just down the road, he did not respond.
Wild Elephant Valley near the town of Xishuangbanna has some 250 elephants living there and the valley supposedly represents the only ‘wild’ Asian elephants in China though after today’s revelations it has to be questioned how many of them are actually living in the wild.
The Duke of Cambridge spoke at the elephant sanctuary about the illegal wildlife trade, “It is appalling that elephants and many others may be extinct in the wild in our lifetimes, and we seem to be hurtling towards the tragic outcome. The extinction of animas such as elephants, rhinos and pangolins would be an immeasurable loss to the whole of humanity”.
In 2014 it was revealed after a three year study by World Animal Protection that these elephant entertainment performances often cause the animals pain and suffering. Sky News spoke to Fleur Dawes from Animal Defenders International who commented, “Using animals for entertainment in any sphere is completely wrong and fosters disrespect for the animals. So we would urge Prince William and The Royal Family to bear that in mind. You simply cannot create the kind of natural environment in a wild life park where animals are forced to perform.”
The elephant entertainment show is put on twice daily and lasts for one hour whilst attracting hundreds of Chinese tourists.
Prince William is on the last leg of his tour of China after having previously spent a few days in Japan.
Featured Photo Credit: World Bank Photo Collection via photopin cc
