It is almost impossible to resist because tamed gibbons are really cuddly and seem so cute. They are also considerably calmer than the wild monkeys that you will likely encounter on some beaches in Thailand that would rather steal your food and slap you in the face than give you a cuddle.
It is quite common although it is a dying industry because it is technically illegal, for people to wander the streets with their gibbon and for a fee, will allow you to take a picture with it. This seems friendly enough, until you find out how it is that the gibbon came to be in that situation. Here's a hint: It wasn't voluntarily
They go a bit far with saying that "my family was killed" in the above advert but one thing that is true is that these domesticated gibbons grow up in really harsh environments and are often made to pose with tourists like this out of fear, not out of genuinely wanting to do that.
src
In order to get a gibbon to behave like this they are stolen from their mothers at a very young age and then kept on a chain or in a small cage for their entire lives. I have seen these situation with my own eyes on certain tours that I went on and although I don't try to lecture the "photo op" guy with how what he is doing to the animal is cruel, I do refuse the photos.
There are a number of gibbon sanctuaries that exist in Thailand if you really want to get to know these cute little guys. The fact of the matter is that gibbons are not as calm and lovely as these photo guys would have you believe. Just like all of these kinds of creatures, they are exceptionally strong given their size and could quite easily clean your clock if they wanted to.
Basically, these animals are made to be cute and huggy through many years of training and cruelty as they are kept in small cages and on a tether at all times. Sure they look like they really want to give you a hug but they are really just after not being beaten and perhaps getting a little snack if they stay on you long enough for the photo.
The elephant trekking trade was brought to a stand still and eventually conversion to elephant observation parks not through government intervention but by awareness being spread around the world mostly via the internet and by organizations such as Projects Abroad. These days, there is very little elephant trekking going on anywhere in Thailand and this is all because people became aware of the cruelty involved in the trade. Perhaps if enough people became aware of the gibbon trade being essentially the same thing, people would stop using it as well.
The government has already done as much as they are going to do. It is already illegal, yet it is still quite widespread. So if you are ever on holiday and someone wants to throw a gibbon on you for a photo, just politely refuse. You don't need to perhaps get into a fight with the guy over the ethics behind his trade because trust me, he already knows... he just doesn't care. If it stops being profitable, he will stop doing it.
If you would like to see how you can help out, or simply spread the word, please visit our website at
http://krabianimalwelfare.org
เป็นผู้สนับสนุนรายเดือนหรือบริจาคครั้งเดียวได้ที่: