Upsetting images of an emaciated elephant forced to join a 10-day parade in Sri Lanka sparked outrage back in 2019. Many people signed a petition calling for an end to this animal cruelty — but what many might not know is what happened afterward.
Photos of the Sri Lankan elephant lying on the ground, frail and near death with her bones clearly showing through her skin, shocked the world when they first surfaced six years ago. The 70-year-old elephant, named Tikiiri, was forced to wear a costume during a Buddhist festival, so her protruding ribs wouldn’t be visible.
Tikiiri joined 60 other elephants and was forced to walk many miles each evening despite her frail health. The starving elephant would also work alongside dancers, jugglers, fire-breathers and musicians.
The shocking images were shared worldwide, and thousands of people signed a petition demanding change.
Save the Elephant Foundation shared the images as part of World Elephant Day and an online petition attracted the attention of thousands.
“Tikiiri joins in the parade early every evening until late at night every night for ten consecutive nights, amidst the noise, the fireworks, and smoke,” the petition said.
“She walks many kilometers every night so that people will feel blessed during the ceremony.”
“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,” the petition reads.
“How can we call this [the festival] a blessing, or something holy, if we make other lives to suffer?”
The petition got over 100,000 signatures, with many comments from outraged animal lovers. One signer said: “Any level of cruelty to animals is reprehensible. This level of cruelty is absolutely deplorable. I only hope this elephant can be saved.”
The petition also included message to the former Prime President of Sri Lanka, Ranil Wickremesinghe, calling for this barbaric treatment of elephants to stop.
After public outrage, Tikiiri was sent back to her owner in Rambukkana but never recovered.
The frail, 70-year-old elephant forced to parade despite her poor health passed away in late September 2019.
Tikiiri’s owner told Metro.co.uk she died Tuesday afternoon, with a vet scheduled to perform a post-mortem the next day.
A source described her life as one of “slavery.”
In a statement, Save Elephant Foundation said:
“The sad news is just out tonight that Tikiri passed away this evening. There is both sorrow and relief here. To think of her brings such pain to my heart. That hard service was her life, and not freedom, carries for me a commitment to others who yet suffer.
That we could not help her before her eyes would shut forever fosters a renewed courage, and bears a responsibility for us to find safe refuges for all of the captive Giants born under the yoke of Man. What we wished for Tikiri, even a few days of freedom with love and care, we will demand for others.
The day that I met Tikiri, her eyes locked with mine, telling me all that I needed to know. Her own fear and anger and sorrow is now part of that longer memory of her kind which should bear us no affection.
Tikiri’s suffering has ended, her soul is now free. No more harm can come to her.
RIP dear Tikiri. Never look back to this world so cruel toward you and your friends.”
