I've heard of Swedish massages, sports massages, Thai messages, shiatsu, and even hot stone massages — but elephant massages? That's a new one.
Visitors in certain parts of Asia have the opportunity to witness these death-defying spectacles firsthand. They risk their lives by placing themselves under 5.5 tons of pure, wild animal.
Obviously, I'm sure it's more for the thrill (and photo opportunities) than to actually relieve any back tension, but I still don't think I'd give it a try.
The elephants are gently led by a mahout to the tourists and then encouraged to replicate the behaviors of masseuses. Thai wildlife parks, like the one in the video below, are using the elephant's amazing intellect to attract more tourists.
I think the humans putting themselves in these situation might be doing something dumb, but this video definitely proves how intelligent elephants are!
Asian elephants are an endangered species, with less than 40,000 still alive in the wild. Organizations like the Zoological Society of London and the Asian Elephant Conservation Fund have been doing all they can to raise money and awareness for this cause. The videographers who have caught these elephants on film have not reported any abuse toward the elephants, and we hope these "masseurs" have good, safe homes in their wildlife park.
What do you think? Are these elephant massages stupid, funny, dangerous, or intriguing? We want to know what you think, so SHARE this post with friends and include your comments!
