CHIANG MAI - FEB 24 2006: An elephant is chained at The Mae Sa Elephant Park. Every year both tourists and elephants are killed at such entertainment-based facilities. Many visitors believe the only way to interact with the animals is through the entertainment based shows where the animals perform tricks such as kicking soccer balls, painting pictures, and giving rides. However, many environmentally based programs provide better experiences for both people and animals. Asian elephants - strong, social, and intelligent - have been trained for thousands of years for use in transportation, labor, and ritual. In Thailand, Elephants are of immense cultural importance, but their numbers are shockingly plummeting. In 1905, there were over 100,000 elephants in this land - now they are estimated at less than 5,000, of which barely half are in the wild. (Photo by Logan Mock-Bunting)