Compléter B3 U8 Pre-Reading (VOC)Version en ligne B3 U8 Pre-Reading (VOC) par Clara Chen 1 high intelligent fact more pleasure Worse abused brutal mercy vulnerable demand tamed go However made struck Unfortunately exhaustion which operators Every year , Thailand sees millions of tourists , many of whom find it great fun to take rides on the backs of elephants . In , it is often the highlight of a visitor's vacation and brings in a lot of money for the Thai economy . , there is a dark and cruel side of elephant tourism that would horrify many travelers . Elephants have been found to be highly social creatures in their natural habitat . They often travel great distances in herds which are led by females . , the illegal trade of young elephants has developed due to high in Thailand's tourism industry . In this business , young wild elephants are lured away from their mothers and into traps . Any females from the herd who might try to protect the innocent babies may be shot by the trappers * . The elephants that fall victim to the traps are then sold to tour . That is when the real horror begins , as they are often violently . These young elephants are confined in very small cages . For days , they are beaten without and even with sharp nails . The psychological torture and physical abuse , both of cause extreme suffering , are done to make them obedient to their human trainers . Once the elephants are , they are forced into a life of misery . Many of them are to carry tourists on their backs at popular attractions and elephant camps . Since an elephant's spine * is to pressure from above , carrying heavy tourists for hours every day can lead to painful , permanent back injuries . What's , beatings still occur regularly as they work , with their flesh * being struck with metal hooks * attached to steel * rods * . still , they are denied an adequate amount of food and water , which further contributes to their . On average , elephants in Thailand give rides to more than 13 million tourists every year . This puts money in the pockets of those who capture or take advantage of them , which allows the cruel elephant trade to continue . Supply never comes without demand , and it is time that we treated the roots of the problem . When you visit Thailand , avoid companies profiting from elephant tourism . As an alternative , visit one of Thailand's three national parks where wild elephants roam * free . There , you can take in viewing these complex , animals as they happily about their lives in peace .