Dumbo’s Story
Through photography, film, and journalism, we told the tragic story of performing baby elephant Dumbo on some of the world’s biggest platforms, to educate millions of people about the harsh reality for captive wildlife.
+ 150 Media Outlets
featured Dumbo’s story
400,000
campaign signatures
10M Video Views
across social media
Whilst documenting the animals confined to Phuket Zoo in Thailand, we met a skeletal baby elephant who was forced to “rave” to music, “play” musical instruments, and perform tricks, all for tourists’ entertainment. We watched as tourists laughed and took selfies, all while this emaciated baby elephant stood with his eyes closed.
Our footage shows the baby elephant repeatedly sucking on their trunk - a sign of distress seen when infant elephants are without their mother.
Alongside two other elephants, he was forced to perform in a distressing performance up to three-times-a-day, all under the threat of the sharp bullhook. When not performing, these elephants were kept in chains on hard ground. Shocking photos also reveal his skeletal body, raising concerns about possible malnourishment and exhaustion. More footage from the same zoo shows the other elephants swaying in distress, and a sharp bullhook being scraped against an elephants’ tender skin.
Moved by his plight, we started a petition calling for him to be retired to a nearby, reputable sanctuary. His story went viral in over 150 mainstream media outlets and over 200,000 people from around the world demanded that the zoo release him to a sanctuary where he could feel peace.
But, in a tragic conclusion to the baby elephant’s heartbreaking story, Dumbo died at just three-years-old.
After public pressure forced the zoo to seek veterinary treatment for “Dumbo”, it was revealed that he had been suffering from a digestive tract infection for months, which gave him constant diarrhea and made him incredibly weak.
Whilst undergoing treatment by Phuket Zoo, Dumbo got stuck in a puddle of mud. He was so frail, that his back legs snapped beneath him as he tried to free himself. Despite this, the zoo did not realise his legs were broken for three days. Finally, the baby elephant was taken to an elephant hospital. He died just three days later.
Heartbroken and outraged by Dumbo’s death, a further 200,000 people spoke out, calling for the closure of Phuket Zoo.
Dumbo’s Legacy
One of Asia's biggest news channels, Channel News Asia (CNA), published an extensive investigation condemning Thailand's infamous elephant tourism, with Dumbo's heartbreaking story part of this groundbreaking series. CNA’s shocking investigative series features three long-read articles and three short documentary films, each focusing on different aspects of elephant tourism, and includes contributions from animal heroes like Edwin Wiek of Wildlife Friends Foundation and Lek Chailert of Elephant Nature Park.
As well as talking about Dumbo’s tragic story in the first article - “Beasts of burden: Hooks, chains and pain” - the first part of CNA’s documentary films feature an interview with Moving Animals co-founder Amy Jones, where we had the chance to speak on how devastating this industry is for the elephants who are forced to perform and live in captivity.
That one of Asia’s biggest news platforms published such an extensive series condemning elephant tourism, shows that more and more people are speaking out against this cruel trade. This growing tide of awareness and condemnation brings us closer to a future where elephants will no longer be physically and mentally broken into being forced to entertain humans.
The story shone a harsh light on the abuse of elephants held captive in zoos and piled unprecedented pressure on the owners. Recently, the zoo agreed to retire the remaining elephants, who have now been rehomed in a sanctuary. While we were unable to save Dumbo, his legacy lives on. We hope that “Dumbo” is now finding the peace that he was so cruelly denied in his lifetime, and that his tragic story will help to stop others from suffering the same fate.
Update: In 2020, the zoo finally closed its doors forever amid the Covid-19 pandemic and thanks to the tireless work of Elephant Nature Park (ENP), Dumbo’s companions, Tang Mo and San Mueang were able to be rescued. The pair now roam free at the elephant sanctuary as part of ENP’s 250-acre jungle reserve in Chiang Mai. Please support ENP’s life-changing work by sponsoring Tang Mo and San Mueang as they now enjoy their life of freedom.
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