injured elephants?

just read a news story:
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,147439,00.html
Seems animal rights people are freaking out about about the way Indonesians do things. The Indonesians are using elephants to help clear out rubble and clean up. I think that's cool. I didn't see any while I was there, but I saw a few pics on the web. Looks like guys sit on top of the elephants and give them commands and the elephants really help. I guess they're normally used in the jungles for logging and also as patrols in the jungle against illegal loggers.

The animal rights people are complaining that this is not right for the elephants, they are out of their natural habitat and getting hurt! And they say they aren't being treated well enough while working on clearing up the rubble.

Sounds familiar to me. Seems there are many in that situation right now--The majority of the people of Aceh province, people in Thailand, India...! People have lost their homes! People are suffering serious injuries--emotional, physical, psychological, etc.!

For crying out loud, people! Who are you to go to a country where the people have suffered enormous loss (friends, family, loved ones, jobs, houses, all their belongings...), they're working hard to get over it and you say, "Stop, you're doing it wrong!" Don't go into their culture and tell them to change their culture.

Look at these quotes:

"These so-called animal lovers, they come to me and say the elephants look thin, but it then turns out they have never seen an elephant before," said Andi Basrul, who heads Aceh's government-run conservation board overseeing the elephants.

Sheesh. You consider yourself an animal lover? Do some research before you try telling the locals about things they've been doing all their lives.

Look at these:

Putting elephants to work is a millenia-old tradition in Asia, where they have been used as pack animals and transportation, and are part of ceremonies and religious processions.

"They are enjoying the work," said Madi, a mahout (trainer) who, like some Indonesians, goes by one name. "We can tell if they are suffering, and believe me they are not."

Kept in a parking lot, the elephants are fed coconut palm, bananas, unhusked rice and sugar cane, and bathed regularly. A veterinarian gives the animals twice-daily medical checkups, vaccinates them against tetanus, and treats infections.

"Marni (one of the working elephants) was glad to be home, sure," said her trainer, Safrudin. "But the cuts aren't serious. In fact, she came back to the jungle fatter than when she left because everyone was giving her cakes."

Sounds to me like they are getting better treatment and care than some of the human tsunami victims! Sheesh! Calm down, people!