(Srilankamirror) - An animal rights group has launched an online petition campaign to rescue an elephant, donated by Sri Lanka to the Philippines, who had spent the last 35 years in a small, concrete pen at the Manila Zoo. The petition by the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) to the Department of Agriculture, the Philippines already has 23,124 supporters.
It needs a total of 26,876 signatures for it to be sent to its intended recipient.
Mali, at the time a nursing baby, was taken from Sri Lanka in 1977, and it has spent the last 35 years in a small, concrete pen.
The only captive elephant in the Philippines, PETA says, she needs to be retired without delay.
The Office of the President has issued a directive stating that Mali should be considered for transfer to a sanctuary after an evaluation of her health.
A sanctuary can offer her thousands of acres to roam, ponds to bathe in, fresh vegetation to eat, foraging opportunities and, most importantly, the company of many other elephants.
But despite the fact that PETA has offered to cover the entire cost of the transfer, authorities are stalling PETA's efforts to faciliate Mali's move to a sanctuary.
Link for the petition
https://www.change.org/petitions/urgent-take-action-to-save-lonely-miserable-elephant
