00:00Tucked in the heart of Malaysia's Krau Wildlife Reserve lies the Koala Gander Elephant Sanctuary,
00:05a place celebrated for protecting the endangered Asian elephant.
00:09But beneath its noble mission, troubling questions have emerged.
00:13Is this truly a safe haven for these majestic creatures, or something far less humane?
00:19Established in 1989 by Malaysia's Wildlife Department, Koala Gander has relocated over
00:24700 wild elephants, saving them from extinction and protecting local agriculture.
00:29But recent online reviews paint a grim picture, calling it a torture spectacle and an exploitative
00:35nightmare, sparking serious concerns about the welfare of these gentle giants.
00:40Complaints claim bullhooks and chains are used to control the elephants' movements,
00:44with visitors witnessing swaying and head bobbing, signs commonly associated with deep distress.
00:50The sanctuary promotes river bathing with elephants as fun activities for tourists,
00:54but animal welfare groups warn they are stressful, risky and potentially deadly.
00:59Rajesh Nagarajan, President of Environmental Group PECA, called Koala Gander a site of deeply troubling
01:05exploitation that betrays the sanctuary's mission of care.
01:09Elephants are routinely chained on concrete slabs, deprived of free movement and forced to perform for
01:15visitors under the threat of physical punishment. These practices are in direct contradiction to the
01:21sanctuary's stated mission of rescue and rehabilitation. This is not conservation,
01:26it is cruelty dressed up as tourism. Demands are growing for reform, end public performances,
01:32ban bullhooks and chains and shift to an observation only model. For the Koala Gander Elephant Sanctuary,
01:38the time for ethical, evidence-based conservation is now. Greta Bogdanaita, FMT.
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