In Thailand, even King Maha Vajiralongkorn is now campaigning for the recovery of the Sri Lankan elephant Sak Surin. The king has pledged his financial support for the treatment of the abused animal, the Bangkok Post newspaper quoted Environment Minister Varawut Silpa-archa as saying on Wednesday. The pachyderm, known for its extremely long tusks, was returned to Thailand by charter flight on Sunday after a long diplomatic wrangling – after long preparations.
The almost 30-year-old bull was a gift from the Thai government to Sri Lanka in 2001. In the two predominantly Buddhist countries, elephants have religious significance.
In former Ceylon, however, Sak Surin was mistreated in a temple by a mahout (elephant guide) and forced to do forced labour, animal rights activists complained. Now he is at the Thai Elephant Conservation Center in Lampang Province in northern Thailand. He can lie down and stand up on his own, according to the minister. But vets diagnosed abscesses on both hips and cataracts in one eye during an initial exam. In addition, the left front leg is stiff.
The elephant will remain in quarantine for 30 days. The interest is so great that the center streams live images of the gray giant twice a day on Facebook, which are followed by tens of thousands of people. In August, Sak Surin is then brought together with other elephants.
Meanwhile, there are concerns about another elephant that Thailand gave to Sri Lanka in 1988 as a diplomatic gesture. The pachyderm named Pratu Pha also lives on a temple grounds. After the drama about Sak Surin, a team of Thai experts wanted to carry out a routine check. However, this was canceled by the abbot of the temple, said Kanchana Silpa-archa, an adviser to the environment ministry. “So far we have no idea where the abbot took the elephant,” she told media.
Authorities suspect that the temple’s monks fear that Pratu Pha could also be brought to Thailand. Thailand’s embassy in Sri Lanka is in charge of the matter, it said.
(yam/sda/dpa)
Soource :Watson
I am Amelia James, a passionate journalist with a deep-rooted interest in current affairs. I have more than five years of experience in the media industry, working both as an author and editor for 24 Instant News. My main focus lies in international news, particularly regional conflicts and political issues around the world.
