There are around 300 elephants living in Ban Ta Klang which is known locally as ‘the elephant village’. Nearly every household owned at least one elephant. It was common to see elephants standing in people’s front yards or being ridden around the village. Ban Ta Klang is one of the main locations in Thailand where elephants are force bred to be sold. Elephant tourism is a massive source of income to the country so the government actively encourages it.

Outside the main arena where elephants are used in shows was a male calf. Thick chains were wrapped tightly around his front legs making it impossible for him to move properly. This resulted in him constantly head-butting the hard dirt floor and tumbling over helplessly. Reaching his trunk towards me, the look in his eyes could be interpreted in only one way - ‘help me’.