In Asia white elephants are worshiped: according to the legend, they are the descendants of the winged elephants that many centuries ago were flying above the Earth and are seen as avatars of the Buddha. However, this worship can result in negative effects for the elephant. For example, Pra Baron Nakkot, a white elephant, was held in captivity (alone in a dark pavilion) all his life because he was considered sacred. In the wild, elephants live in extended families; they are very sociable. This poor elephant was deprived of freedom and denied the possibility of living his life in an elephant community.
Worship and ill-treatment are not far apart
Animalism Blog 
Indeed…worship and adulation of sacred animals does not translate into good treatment of them.
Elephants taken into captivity are trained using the pajaan method (training crush) where a baby elephant is tortured until it gives up the will to live. It is then trained using the Anker (a mean looking billhook), which distributes pain if disobedience occurs.
Most people are not aware of the cruelty involved when they go for a ride on an elephant, or go to see them at a circus.
For the White elephants…they are chained and immobilized for their entire lives, just so they can be worshipped. It sends them completely mad. So very sad. 😢
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interesting, colettebytes – am grateful for you bringing up such an important subject, T.O.
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