Young Elephant Dead From Exhaustion: Stop Exploiting Elephants For Tourism!

Published: February 06, 2020 at 12:23 PM Author: PENNY EIMS

Sri Lanka – Recently, a young elephant, just 18 years of age, collapsed and died after being walked to the point of exhaustion at a tourist trap in Sri Lanka. According to the organization, Moving Animals, the juvenile elephant, who was forced to give rides to visitors on the Sigiriya tourist trail, collapsed and later died after giving back-to-back rides.

It is time for the exploitation of elephants to end. Please add your name to this petition! We will be presenting your signatures to E. Rodney M. Perera, Ambassador of Sri Lanka to the United States, asking for the government to intervene on behalf of exploited elephants in the country.

The elephant who died, decades before his natural life should have ended, was named Kanakota. The 18-year-old elephant should have been enjoying a life in the wild, with his family, but he was instead being forced to perform unnatural acts for tourists.

According to Moving Animals, Kanakota was one of two captive elephants who was being forced to haul tourists up and down the trail – the organization has stated that the enslaved elephants are bound with heavy chains, and threatened with sharp bullhooks.

Elephants are emotional and intelligent animals who undoubtedly suffer both mentally and physically when they are removed from their family members and are forced into submission for “tourist” duties. Kanakota was literally worked to death for the almighty dollar and this type of exploitation must be brought to an end.

We are weary of this suffering and we want to do what we can to bring it to an end. Please join us as we ask Sri Lanka to prohibit the use of elephants for tourism. These majestic animals belong in the wild, with their families, instead of being bound in heavy chains and forced to work.

READ OUR LETTER HERE

* Individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

Prior Signatures 3,829