People were appalled in 2019 when they saw photos of an emaciated elephant joined in a long parade in Sri Lanka. Although many people supported the petition against this kind of cruelty, few might realize what happened after that.
Year 2017, six years ago, the photos of the Sri Lankan elephant lying down with bare bones under her skin shocked the world. A Buddhist festival required Tikiiri, the elephant, to put on a costume, so that her ribs wouldn’t be seen.
Tikiiri, together with 60 other elephants, was made to walk long distances every night even though she was very weak. Dancers, jugglers, fire-breathers, and musicians would join the starving elephant on stage as well.
Horror photos from the factory spread around the world, and many people signed a petition to urge for progress.
Part of World Elephant Day, the pictures were shared by Save the Elephant Foundation, and an online petition caught the attention of many.
The festival sees Tikiiri taking part in the nightly parade, even after dark, for ten straight nights surrounded by lots of noise, fireworks, and smoke.
“To assure people at the ceremony feel blessed, she runs many kilometers each night.”
No one is aware of how the dancer’s eyes hurt under the bright decorations on her mask, nor of how much her short chains affect her steps, it adds.
Can we truly say this [the festival] is holy, or something we should feel blessed about, after we cause other people pain?
The petition gathered more than 100,000 signatures and featured many angry comments from animal lovers. Someone who signed the resolution said: “It is not acceptable to be cruel to animals.” It is unthinkable how cruel this behavior is. I wish that this valuable animal can be saved somehow.”
Message was sent in the petition to the former Prime Minister of Sri Lanka, Ranil Wickremesinghe, demanding that such cruelty to elephants end.
Because of the protest, Tikiiri was returned to her owner in Rambukkana, but she never bounced back.
A frail 70-year-old elephant who was made to parade because she was sick died in late September of 2019.
Metro.co.uk was told by Tikiiri’s owner that her death occurred Tuesday afternoon, and the vet would examine her body on Wednesday.
“Slavery” was how one source described her life conditions.
According to Save Elephant Foundation, in a statement they made:
We have just heard that Tikiri died this evening, and the news is very sad. Here, there are mixed emotions of sadness and comfort. Just thinking about her makes me very sad. Notice how her life was service, and not freedom, and this inspires me to care for others today.
Since we did not help her before she died, we become stronger and feel obliged to find places of safety for all of the captive Giants owned by Man. This is why, when it comes to Tikiri, we want only a little and ask for the same amount for others.
When I met Tikiri, her look made it crystal-clear what she felt for me. All her own feelings of fear, anger, and sadness have become a permanent part of her people’s story, and should not be held in our hearts.
The pain Tikiri went through is now over, with her soul set free. She will no longer experience any harm.
Goodbye and farewell, Tikiri. Try your best to forget about this world that hurt you and your friends.
Humans. We are the biggest threat to the earth. Our ability to cause great harm is limitless. If animals had the ability to talk, it would make us cry. If nature had the ability to speak, we would feel ashamed.
