Skeletal 70-year-old elephant mistreated in Sri Lanka, alleges animal foundation
SRI LANKA — An animal foundation has called attention to the plight of a skeletal 70-year-old elephant in Sri Lanka.
SRI LANKA — An animal foundation has called attention to the plight of a skeletal 70-year-old elephant in Sri Lanka.
The Save Elephant Foundation, based in Chiang Mai, Thailand, penned an emotional Facebook post on Tuesday (Aug 13) alleging that an “ailing” female elephant named Tikiri was mistreated while working in Sri Lanka's Esala Perahera Festival.
According to the foundation, Tikiri was made to walk "many kilometres" for 10 consecutive nights amid noise, fireworks and smoke as part of the annual Buddhist festival’s celebrations in Kandy, Sri Lanka.
Photos attached to the post showed an elephant with its ribs and other bones clearly visible, and a chain wrapped around its leg.
Another photo showed an elephant with decorative costume covering its body, accompanied by two keepers holding large wooden sticks.
The foundation wrote: "No one sees her bony body or her weakened condition, because of her costume. No one sees the tears in her eyes, injured by the bright lights that decorate her mask, no one sees her difficulty to step as her legs are short shackled while she walks."
According to a report by UK’s Metro on Wednesday, the Sacred Tooth Relic temple — which hosts the festival — said Tikiri suffers from a "digestive ailment" that allegedly "prevents her from putting on weight", but "hasn't affected her strength and abilities”.
The temple spokesperson added there is a belief that performing offerings during the festival has "healing powers”. This was why Tikiri's owner "specifically requested" that she take part, hoping that her ailment would be cured.
The following day, Metro published an image sent from a local Sri Lankan activist, allegedly showing Tikiri collapsed on the ground from “exhaustion” after the festival.
"For a ceremony, all have the right to belief as long as that belief does not disturb or harm another. How can we call this a blessing, or something holy, if we make other lives to suffer?" asked the Save Elephant Foundation in its post.
The Save Elephant Foundation has called for people to write to the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka Ranil Wickremesinghe, asking him to release Tikiri and bring about the "end of this cruelty". AGENCIES