Petition: Ban Ownership of Elephants in Sri Lanka and Send Captive Elephants to Sanctuaries

Asian elephants in Sri Lanka are suffering in captivity. They are beautiful, majestic animals that are supposed to live freely. They’re meant to roam with their large herd with whom they share strong connections and bonds with. They should be able to bathe in mud to protect themselves from the sun, and act on their natural behaviors and instincts. Elephants should not be in chains, condemned to a miserable life of suffering in captivity, or forced to perform and entertain for humans. Yet, there have been so many sad stories of elephants in Sri Lanka.

A few years ago, we shared the story of Ganga, who was stolen from the wild as a baby (as most captive elephants are). She is simply known as a money-making permit and not the beautiful individual she is. Last year, Tikiri’s story also broke hearts around the world. She was so malnourished that she was skeletal, yet still forced to perform in festivals and to give rides. She sadly died in September 2019. And just a few months ago, an elephant named Kanakota died at just 18 years old after being overworked. He collapsed and died of exhaustion.

More recently, gut wrenching footage surfaced of an elephant named Myan Prince screaming while being beaten and abused by his captors at a temple in Sri Lanka. Myan Prince is one of an estimated 250 captive elephants in Sri Lanka. There are about 4,000 wild elephants in Sri Lanka who are extremely endangered. And they continue to be stolen from the wild to be forced into captivity.

As seen by the tragic endings and the immense suffering of not just the elephants named above, but hundreds of others, elephants deserve better than this. The elephants need to be protected! According to the World Wildlife Fund, “The Sri Lankan elephant population has fallen almost 65% since the turn of the 19th century.” In 2019, 361 elephants were killed and 85 percent of those deaths were caused by human activity.

Sign this petition asking the Sri Lankan government to ban the ownership of captive elephants and to release Myan Prince to the safety of a sanctuary!

• Protect Sri Lankan Elephants from Crop Raiding
• Justice for Kanakota
• Help The Abused Elephant at The Bellanwila Temple in Sri Lanka

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