SanMueng is a male elephant who was removed from his mother’s care at the tender age of three and forced to perform at Phuket Zoo. He was forced to “dance” to music, “play” musical instruments and perform demeaning tricks for tourist’s entertainment. The lengthy performances were held up to three times a day and SanMeung was required to follow commands under the threat of a sharp “bullhook”. When not performing, he was chained to a concrete floor in a small, bleak enclosure, where onlookers often saw him swaying repeatedly in distress – a sign of the psychological condition known as ‘zoochosis’.