Khao Kheow Open Zoo, in Thailand’s eastern province of Chon Buri, will continue holding elephant swimming shows for tourists despite social media criticism, alleging cruelty to animals, after a picture, titled “Elephant in the Room”, taken by Adam Oswell of Australia, won the best picture in the photojournalism category at the Wildlife Photographer of the Year Awards 2021, organized by Natural History Museum in London.

In an exclusive interview with Thai PBS, the zoo’s director, Tewin Rattanawongsawat, said that this is not the first time that elephant swimming shows have been described as torture. He argued that swimming is natural behaviour for elephants as they, by nature, love to be in water for several hours at a time and they can swim long distances.

Full story: thaipbsworld.com

By Thai PBS World