Kim Kardashian received backlash on Tuesday after she posted photos of herself posing with elephants in Bali at an animal sanctuary that many users believed was fake.
Kardashian posted on her Instagram on Tuesday three photos of herself standing next to the large mammal and touching its trunk. The first photo showed a man sitting on top of the elephant while another included husband, Kanye West.
“Missing Bali! and the amazing elephant sanctuary,” Kardashian wrote in the caption.
Many social media users slammed the reality star and claimed she went to a “fake” sanctuary because the reserve allowed people to ride the elephant — an action that would be forbidden at places due to animal cruelty.
"THIS IS NOT A SANCTUARY !" a comment read.
“Do better research next time, don’t go to fake sanctuaries that chain up elephants and torture/beat them into submission,” one user wrote.
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“Delete this post and create a new one admitting you were wrong and to advise millions of people NOT to go to these places. It’s beyond cruel and you have now promoted this to millions of people!!!!!” another person said.
Another woman commented, “This is not an elephant sanctuary. you do not ride elephants in a sanctuary. do not visit or post about these places when you do not have the right information. These are beautiful animals that need to be treated with respect not like a toy to ride along and to take an insta pic with. Disgraceful.”
“Sanctuaries don’t promote elephant riding..,” a woman said, while another said the post was “so disappointing.”
“Stop using your influence to support (inadvertantly, I hope) abuse of Earth's most intelligent and emotional animals. THERE IS NO HUMANE WAY to tame an elephant to be ridable, it can only be done through significant and prolonged torture and psychological abuse- elephants are beaten with metal hooks, seperated [sic] from families (they have extremely tight bonds to their mothers), and kept in clostraphobic [sic] confinement to pacify them. PLEASE DO NOT PAY FOR THIS,” the user wrote.
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Several people said the “Keeping Up With The Kardashians” star should delete the post and use her influence to raise awareness on animal abuse. Another follower urged Kardashian to study about animal rights while she studied to become a lawyer.
“No ‘sanctuary’ would let you ride an elephant. While you’re learning to advocate for human rights, please take some time to understand animal welfare and rights,” the person wrote.
Another woman pointed out possible injuries the elephant may have endured.
"Shame. That poor elephant went through hell just so she could take a picture with the beautiful thing: if you look closely the ears are torn , and there are cuts and scars on the back legs from chains. go look up what it take to get to ride an elephant at side attractions or take pictures with them," she commented.
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More than 3,000 elephants are held at tourist venues dubbed animal “orphanages” and “parks” in Asian countries, according to a 2017 study by World Animal Protection. Majority of the animals are tortured and “trained” at a young age to allow tourists to ride them. When they are not giving out rides or performing tricks, the elephants are chained to a confined space or stabbed with a hook or other tools by their trainer “to establish dominance” over the animals, the report said.