Kim Kardashian and her husband Kanye West are being called out for taking a picture next to a “mistreated” elephant in Bali.
Kim’s family went to Bali in October 2018, and she recently shared some throwback pictures of her holiday. However, her latest picture caused a social media storm and she was called out for standing next to an elephant that was being ridden by a “sanctuary” worker.
It is speculated that the elephant may not have been in a real sanctuary, and it was more likely that it was being abused for tourist purposes.
A twitter user called Freyziebell proclaimed, “Gross. It’s not hard to do some research.”
Kim and Kanye can be seen posing next to an elephant, touching its trunk and smiling.
The caption says, “Missing Bali! and the amazing elephant sanctuary.”
The Instagram post also shows Kim wearing a tight bikini top and a high-waist skirt. Kanye, on the other hand, is wearing a denim jacket with a t-shirt and mint-coloured shorts.
Keeping Up With the Kardashians recorded Kim’s family holiday in Bali, showing how they learned about the culture and nature of the island.
A user remarked, “What kind of sanctuary let humans sit on the elephants?”
Another user, @Kurr said, “Except sanctuaries don’t ride their animals cause it’s cruel. Or tie them up with ropes?”
Animal lovers took Kim’s photo very seriously for its depiction of animal abuse. In fact, Kim’s pictures in Bali seem to promote these types of elephant rides in the so-called “sanctuaries.”
Downton Abbey star Peter Egan posted, “Such ignorance and such a lack of care.” He continued, saying, “Doesn’t she understand the cruelty inflicted on these poor elephants in order for her inane photo shoot.” Then he wrote, “Pathetic.”
Another Twitter user, @JannieC commented, “Disgraceful.”
Kim later responded to the negative Twitter comments by saying that it was indeed a sanctuary that cared about the animals. She clarified, “We visited an elephant sanctuary that has rescued these elephants from Sumatra where they would have otherwise gone extinct. It is an organization that is working to save these beautiful animals.” “We did full research before going,” she added.
Bali Animal Welfare Association indicates that tourists are not recommended to stay in resorts where elephants are kept in captivity. Moreover, the association says that over 3.8 million tourists visit Bali every year, and that they are advised to never go on elephant rides.
Sources: Opposing Views / Photo Credit: Google, Instagram/Kim Kardashian
