Thai Genshin Impact fans donate to feed “unemployed” elephants, community shows mixed reactions

The Thai Genshin Impact community has recently donated to help feed domesticated elephants, whose owners were not able to make ends meet due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Because of travel restrictions, 2020 and 2021 were not at all good years for the tourism business in Thailand, and the elephant circus trade was one of the professions that saw a steep decline in revenue.

Domesticated elephants were trained to perform tricks for visitors, and the pandemic made it quite impossible for the owners to make ends meet, and feed the elephants.

Now, with Thai Genshin Impact fans becoming major donors to the cause, many in the community are considering it to be a very positive step. However, there are some members who are quite displeased with it and feel that aiding the elephant circus business will lead to more abuse of the animals.

Genshin Impact community discusses elephant abuse in Thai circus rings

Not everyone in the Genshin Impact community is looking at this donation as a wholesome gesture. They feel that additional aid provided to such organizations will just lead to further animal abuse in the elephant trade business and make them go through inhumane conditions, just to make them learn a few tricks.

It’s safe to say that the community's feelings towards this matter are quite mixed. Some Genshin Impact players even went on to suggest that, while most of these organizations are abusive, not all of them are. Some are ethical, and can be helped and promoted.

However, many reverted by saying that it’s not possible to look at a business that employs elephants to be ethical.

The other side of the argument suggests that being a “mahout” is a tradition and has deep roots in Thai culture. While there are many who raise their elephants for the circus business, others employ them for more domestic purposes like farming and tilling.

Obviously, elephant upkeep is rather expensive, and without the tourism trade, these poor families do not have a way of feeding these animals who generally need about 150-200 kg of food everyday.

So donating to these families doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s promoting the circus business, or elephant abuse, and should not be taken as anything more than a genuine gesture of kindness.

The Genshin Impact community has gone back and forth in the above Reddit thread over the recent donations, and it’s currently inconclusive as to which side of the argument the majority is leaning towards.