Severely Underweight Elephant Forced To Perform Circus Tricks

Footage of a painfully thin elephant being forced to perform circus tricks in Thailand has gone viral.

A ridiculously underweight cow elephant was made to walk a tight rope and perform in front of a practically deserted stand at the Samut Prakarn Crocodile Farm and Zoo.

Spectators who were there looked on in horror as the elephant was forced to perform, despite such her skeletal frame.

One person, who,wished to remain anonymous, had attended the zoo and said they were utterly shaken by the harrowing sight.

They said: "I've been visiting the zoo for a long time because I like to look at the animals. But when I visited last week I was upset when I saw one of the elephants. The elephant looked so thin and weak. I felt so sorry for him. I think he needs help.

"I don't want to say anything bad about the zoo, because they might be problems and cannot afford to look after the elephant. I would like people to help the elephant."

The crocodile farm was built in 1950 as Thailand's first crocodile farm, but quickly grew in size - it is now home to more than 60,000 crocodiles.

Residents local to the farm said it was once a popular attraction, however this has decreased over the years.

A 24-year-old resident who lives nearby, called Ploy, said: ''I was born on the same street as the zoo and it has been open all my life. I first went when I was 10 years old but haven't been back since. It used to be very popular and there would be lots of tour buses arrives, but now it's so quiet. I'm worried about the animals.''

The zoo has responded to accusations of cruelty - a spokesperson for the zoo said today that the elephants at the park are not suffering from any health issues, saying: ''No, no, no. The elephants here are all healthy. They are all good. None of them are thin. They are all fed well. They do shows every day.''

The average Asian Elephant should be sitting at a healthy weight of anywhere between 2,700kg and 5,400kg. It has been suggested that the elephant in the footage shows signs of malnourishment as its ribs and pelvis are clearly visible.

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