This Popular Sport In Thailand Is A Nightmare For Elephants

Writhing around with a trainer on her back, an elephant is repeatedly hit and gouged with a sharp metal bullhook. As she winces in pain, the man violently yanks her ears and continues pounding the heavy tool down onto her head as hard as he can.

Polo is typically played on horseback, but in Thailand, there’s a cruel and unusual twist: It’s played on the backs of captive elephants instead — who are beaten and broken down in order to be trained to play the sport.

Until this year, the brutal training sessions were never caught on camera.

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