Elephant Attraction Boycotts Urged After Horrifying Photos Emerge

• Thomas Nelson
• August 17, 2019
• Animals, News
• 0 Comments

Elephant attractions are a popular tourist activity throughout the world. Elephants are the largest land animal and many tourists jump at the chance to see them perform, ride them, and snap the perfect selfie. Attention is being drawn to the reality that elephant attractions around the world are fueling cruelty against elephants, and that cruelty was fully exposed this week. Now, elephant attraction boycotts are being demanded.

Animal rights activists are now asking that tourists visiting Sri Lanka boycott elephant attractions after photos leaked of a severely emaciated female elephant used in a festival. The photos were shared by the Save Elephant Foundation on Facebook.

Related post: Why you should boycott elephant tourism

“This is Tikiiri, a 70 year old ailing female,” the foundation wrote in a Facebook post. “She is one of the 60 elephants who must work in the service of the Perahera Festival in Sri Lanka this year. Tikiri joins in the parade early every evening until late at night every night for ten consecutive nights, amidst the noise, the fireworks, and smoke. She walks many kilometers every night so that people will feel blessed during the ceremony. “

The photos are damning. But how can an elephant this sick escape public attention? According to Save Elephant Foundation, her large costume hides much of her body from public view.

“No one sees her bony body or her weakened condition, because of her costume,” they wrote on Facebook.

Since their original posting, Save Elephant Foundation published an update saying that Tikiri is now too weak to stand, walk, or work.