Elephant molestation at Pinnawala (video)

Brutal treatment at Pinnawela ....
Elephant beaten up .... to the extent of urinating!

Rumours spread around recently that mahouts at Pinnawela Elephant Orphanage are maltreating elephants in a brutal manner. But as there was no evidence to confirm these reports, the rumour was submerged. However this issue once again came to the surface because of a video-clip which shows an elephant being beaten up and how the animal in distress has begun to pass urine.

The video shows how an elephant is being inhumanly beaten up by a mahout when the animal is being accompanied fora bath at the Ma Oya.  As a result of this harassment the animal not being able to bear the pain is seen passing urine.

The mahouts had left the elephants to play about while they had been relaxing on a rock engaged in a tete-a-tete during which one elephant had crossed the Ma Oya and gone over to the river bank on the other side. Later, a mahout who had gone to bring back the elephant had brutally assaulted the elephant's legs.

With the above-mentioned incidents taking place,the weakness of mahouts  in observing the elephants in their custody is clearly exposed. How far do rules and regulations apply in cases where animals are subjected to torture in this manner is something that should be inquired into where the safety of animals is concerned.

Photos and video --Ranjith Karunaweera