Star elephant courts controversy in Philippine zoo

20 October, 2012

An elderly elephant named Mali is a star at Manila's zoo in the Philippines but is also the focus of a campaign alleging animal cruelty that has united the country's powerful bishops, global pop stars and a Nobel laureate.

THE STAR elephant, Mali, is the focusb of an animal rights group and they want to move this elephant to a sanctuary in Sri Lanka. Mali at the age of 38 spends her day by entertaining people by picking peanuts from people, and the animal rights group thinks that the concrete-floored enclosure is very small for an elephant to enjoy her living.

The elephant Mali is unwell, she is not only suffering physically but is also suffering physiologically, says Rochelle Rigodon, campaign manager for Manila-based People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA).

PETA has started a campaign for Mali to be removed from the zoo, and to move it to a sanctuary in Srilanka. British pop star Morrissey, J.M. Coetzee a noble luterate in literature, and Jane Goodall, famous animal welfare campaigner, are also contributing in this campaign, and they have written letters to the Philippine government asking for Mali to be transferred.

The Philippines have a critical poverty problem, where one quarter of the population lives on a dollar a day or less. The entrance fee of the zoo is 40 pesos for adults and 20 pesos for children. It is a very low fare, but the zoo management has fixed such a low fee to give the poorer citizens an opportunity to see the zoo.

The zoo works as a social service organization, and not as a profit oriented organization, and is specially designed for the poorer community in Manila. So the Mayor is rejecting the calls to relocate the elephant Mali, as it is the major attraction of the zoo, reported AFP.