Phuket, Thailand, September 29, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Unchained Elephants, a new NFT art project, seeks to save 2 or more working elephants in Thailand. The project will use the income from the NFT sale to buy and rescue these animals from violent working environments in the tourism industry. In addition to helping the welfare of elephants, Unchained Elephants will also give back to its supporters by offering an exclusive travel club where they can enjoy special benefits and perks such as discounts on excursions, tours and hotels.
Unwittingly, elephant riding has become somewhat controversial in Thailand. Like most animals, elephants are not meant to live in captivity. However, hundreds of captive elephants in Thailand are abducted as infants, separated from their families and forced into a life that negatively affects their growth emotionally, mentally and physically. According to Thailand’s official agencies, there are between 3,000 and 4,000 elephants in the country, and around half of these are domesticated. The Unchained Elephants team wants to empower local people to improve the lives of these animals by offering real solutions to the problems facing their country.
Unchained Elephant’s first goal is to raise awareness to buy the freedom and rescue captive elephants working under harsh conditions in the tourism sector and release them at ethical sanctuaries in Thailand. Furthermore, NFT’s main initiative is to raise awareness and educate travelers worldwide about the harsh truth behind the welfare of these elephants. By educating travelers, they hope to stop the demand for elephant tours or animal shows, while offering a FREE training program that will help elephant keepers and business owners in Thailand put elephant welfare first and run their businesses in a more ethical manner.
The Original Unchained Elephants collection included 99 hand-drawn elephants by acclaimed Ecuadorian artist Luis Felipe Donoso. In their upcoming collection of 9,999 NFTs, each depicts a serene elephant sitting in meditation and enjoying different surroundings. The collection will be minted on the XRP blockchain (XRPLedger).
The founder of Unchained Elephants, Daniel Villota, said: “I have always believed that a business should find a way to give weight and voice to social causes, while making it easier and more interesting for everyone to support the cause by providing them with aids that will give them added benefits. Elephants are without a doubt a must experience activity when visiting Thailand and I have no idea why. They are truly majestic but there are better ways to do it. This is why I founded Unchained Elephants , with a mission to raise awareness among travelers to stop the demand for elephant trekking and elephant shows, rescue elephants from these harsh working conditions so we can at least stop their suffering, and train elephant keepers and business owners to run a more ethical business and thus complete the circle to truly make a difference to the welfare and longevity of Asian elephants.
Our NFT project and initiative will allow holders to enjoy traveling while being part of this change. A project that will resonate with those who want more from their NFT project, care about these creatures and like to travel.”
For every NFT purchase, 40% of sales go directly to buying the freedom of these captive elephants and providing educational programs for travelers and elephant keepers alike to truly make a difference. In addition, the project will donate a percentage of secondary sales to feed and maintain the rescued elephants. The first NFT holders also receive an adoption certificate from the rescued elephants and can gain access to the sanctuaries where the elephants will be chained out, as well as access to the upcoming travel club platform, which offers savings and travel privileges on Phuket excursions, tours and hotels.
About Unchained Elephants
Unchained elephants is a cause-driven NFT project founded in 2021 that aims to raise awareness and educate the masses about the impact of elephant tourism, provide alternative activities for tourists in Thailand, and help rehabilitate and rescue elephants trapped in unethical tourism activities. Unchained Elephants buys the freedom of captive elephants and funds ethical and safe sanctuaries for their rehabilitation through funds raised from their NFT collections.
To learn more about Unchained Elephants, visit:
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