A new video exposes brutal practices in a Thai zoo which has been accused of abusing elephants, monkeys and other animals.

The footage from PETA Asia reveals barren pens, open wounds and animals jabbed with spikes – which the group says is filmed at Samutprakarn Crocodile Farm and Zoo in Thailand.

PETA Asia said it found elephants kept tethered by extremely short chains, including Gluay Hom, who was just a baby.

They suffered from bleeding wounds, and handlers jabbed them with sharp metal spikes to force them into giving rides and performing tricks, like bowling, painting, and dancing, PETA alleged.

They suffered from bleeding wounds, and handlers jabbed them with sharp metal spikes to force them into giving rides and performing tricks, like bowling, painting, and dancing, PETA alleged.

PETA Asia eyewitnesses also said they found that animals such as a tiger, a chimpanzee, and an orangutan were exploited as photo props.

When not being used for photos, the primates were held in cramped cages, they say.

Animals appeared to be frustrated and depressed, as they were denied mental stimulation and any opportunity for social interaction, both of which are extremely important to their well-being.

“The animals at this Thai zoo see nothing but concrete, chains, and cages,” PETA Asia Vice President of International Campaigns Jason Baker said.

“PETA is calling on travellers around the world to stay away from any facility that sentences wild animals to a miserable life of violence and deprivation.”

The Thai elephant industry is notorious for the phajaan ritual, in which still-nursing baby elephants are dragged away from their mothers, immobilised, beaten mercilessly, and gouged with nails for days at a time, PETA said in a statement sent to Totally Vegan Buzz.

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Oli Gross

Oli Gross is a writer and editor at Totally Vegan Buzz. His background is in local newspaper and magazine journalism, and his work has included reporting court cases, celebrity interviews, business analysis, food and drink features and government legislation. Oli’s career and personal ethical values both help shape his reporting of the diverse world of veganism. At Totally Vegan Buzz he specialises in breaking news and features on animal rights activism. Follow him on Twitter @Oli_Gross12

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