Last November, a retirement party complete with Buddhist rituals was held for Phnom Penh's beloved pachyderm Sambo. After 30 years of entertaining tourists in Cambodia's capital, Sambo will spend her remaining years with 12 other elephants in the Keo Seima forest located in the country's Mondolkri province.
Unfortunately, much of Southeast Asia's wildlife will never have it as good. And whether from Japan or the United States, the many tourists drawn to Southeast Asia's rain forests and mountain forests should take note.
From appearances on dinner plates of businessmen seeking to impress clients with exotic fare, to forced performances at dubious wildlife parks before ever growing numbers of tourists, Asia's indigenous animals are increasingly under threat.