People who ride elephants in the South Asian country of Sri Lanka are called mahouts, and new laws aim to make sure they don’t drive their elephants drunk. It’s all part of an effort to give the elephants better protection, including making sure the elephants are cared for properly by their owners.
They’re serious, too; the laws limit elephant workdays to four hours and ban riding them at night. New photo and DNA ID cards will be registered to every domesticated elephant in the country; there are around 200 domesticated elephants in Sri Lanka and an estimated 7,500 roaming wild.
Source:New York Post