This starving 70-year-old elephant, Tikri, is forced to walk miles in a colorful costume every night for a ‘religious festival’ in Sri Lanka.
The horrifying pictures of Tikri went viral on social media platforms, raising awareness about animal cruelty.
People who watch her parade, often miss out on the emaciated body of the elephant that is forced to work for ten consecutive nights at the Esala Perahera, a Buddhist festival in Kandy, Sri Lanka.
Tikri’s bones can be seen protruding through her skin and spine. She is old and ailing.
She is one of the 60 elephants who are made to parade as a part of this religious festival, Lek Chailert, the founder of Save Elephant Foundation said.
Tikiri update. Please pray for her. It is too tiring for her to walk and work. On the day we met her the vet said she…
Save Elephant Foundation ಅವರಿಂದ ಈ ದಿನದಂದು ಪೋಸ್ಟ್ ಮಾಡಲಾಗಿದೆ ಗುರುವಾರ, ಆಗಸ್ಟ್ 15, 2019
Save Elephant Foundation actively works towards rescuing elephants and has successfully rescued hundreds of gentle giants from several countries.
The foundation has urged people to write to Sri Lanka’s Prime Minister, Ranil Wickremesinghe to ‘end this cruelty’.
Chailert claimed that the elephants are ‘short shackled’ which is why they walk slower through the chaos of the night parade.
She wrote ‘no one sees the tears’ in Tikri’s eyes in a heartfelt post on the World Elephant Day on August 12.
“No one sees the tears in Tikri’s 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,” Chailert added.
Chailert pointed that for a ceremony, everyone has the right to believe as long as that belief does not harmor disturb anyone.
“Tikri joins in the parade early every evening until late every night for ten consecutive nights, amidst the noise, the fireworks and the smoke. She walks kilometres every night so that people feel blessed during the ceremony” she said.
Questioning the torture on the elephants, Chailert asks how one can call it a blessing or something holy, if it makes others suffer.
“To love, to do no harm, to follow a path of kindness and compassion, this is the Way of Buddha. It is time to follow,” she said.
