The Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand has released photos showing an old elephant's back that has suffered significant damage after years of offering rides to tourists in Thailand. 

According to the Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand (WFFT), which cautions against the "exploitative tactics" of the animal entertainment sector, Pai Lin (the elephant in the picture), who is now around 71 years old, was forced to carry as many as six people at a time for 25 years.

Elephant-riding excursions are frequently available in popular tourist destinations all around Southeast Asia. The elephants utilised in this sector frequently spend entire days without a break carrying the weight of their handler, up to six passengers, and the bulky howdah seat. Their bones and tissues may deteriorate due to the persistent strain on their bodies, permanently damaging their spines.

These elephants frequently suffer from years of abuse and overworking in addition to physical defects, according to reports from the conservation organisation Animals Asia.

Pai Lin now roams freely at Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand (WFFT), Thailand's first chain-free elephant sanctuary, where she can exist in peace sans shackles and exploitation. 

Pai Lin currently enjoys a free lifestyle at the WFFT elephant sanctuary where she receives round-the-clock medical attention, specialist supplements, and nutrient-rich food. Her spinal abnormality, however, cannot be repaired and will remain for the remainder of her life.