PHUKET: Former Miss Universe Natalie Glebova said today on Phuket that she has taken her last elephant ride and urged other people to avoid taking elephant rides in Thailand.

The Canadian beauty proved her intelligence by admitting she was wrong when she was photographed with a tout's gibbon on Phi Phi recently, creating angry feedback among her fans.

Today she went to the Gibbon Rehabilitation Project at Bang Pae Waterfall on the holiday island to learn about gibbons - then pledged that she would do what she could to also save elephants from abuse in Thailand.

''There's a big issue with elephants in Thailand and I'm posting about it on my social media,'' she told Phuketwan.

''Elephants are being taken away from their mothers at a young age. They are being abused and beaten in order to train them. I think any elephant is being mistreated in some way.

''Therefore I have already pledged that I will never ride an elephant again.''

Redemption for Ms Glebova came today with a tour of the gibbon sanctuary, where 37 of the appealing-looking animals remain in cages while 18 have been returned to the wild.

Slowly but surely, publicity campaigns by people such as Ms Glebova are transforming public perceptions about wild creatures being used to make money from tourists.

The sanctuary manager, Phamon Sumphanthamit, said that the use of gibbons by touts had been overcome on Phuket but there were still other places in the region - including Phi Phi, Krabi and Phang Nga - where they were still being abused.

He welcomed Ms Glebova's commitment of support.

''The place for a wild animal is in the wild, not in the arms of a tourist,'' he said.