The novel coronavirus outbreak has brought tourism to a screeching halt, freeing dozens of Thai elephants from their task of carrying around visitors.
Chiang Mai park Maesa Elephant Camp temporarily closed down on Thursday amid the COVID-19 recommendations from local government.
The park shared the news in a Facebook post, written in Thai, that says it has 78 elephants to care for. It asks for donations to be made to the Elephant Conservation Foundation in Bangkok.
The camp, which has typically offered the controversial tourist activity of elephant riding, has been forced to remove the seats from elephants’ backs and reach out to the public for donations.