Earlier this year, Sri Lanka was on fire after it forced emaciated elephants to take part in a street parade.

Tikiri, a female elephant, was dressed up so her emaciated body couldn’t be seen by the locals.

Sadly, Tikiri was one of the 60 elephants that were forced to work constantly during the Esala Perahera Festival.

The festival takes place in Kandy each year in July.

Lek Chailert, the founder of the Save Elephant Foundation, said that the elephants are forced to work slowly amidst the crowded streets.

Chailert added, “Tikiri joins in the parade early every evening until late at night every night for ten consecutive nights, amidst the noise, the fireworks, and smoke.”

In the post, she continued, “She walks many kilometres every night so that people will feel blessed during the ceremony. No one sees her bony body or her weakened condition, because of her costume. No one sees the tears in her eyes, injured by the bright lights that decorate her mask, no one sees her difficulty to step as her legs are short shackled while she walks.”

She went on, “For a ceremony, all have the right to belief as long as that belief does not disturb or harm another. How can we call this a blessing, or something holy, if we make other lives to suffer?”

Last year, the images of Tikiri were shared by the Save Elephant Foundation.

It was shared to spread awareness of the World Elephant Day.

The charity helps to rescue and care for captive elephants across Asia.

It also runs the Elephant Nature Park in Chiang Mai.

Elisa Allen, the director of Animal Welfare charity PETA, said that elephants are exploited at tourist traps and temples in Sri Lanka.

Allen said, Bottom of Form”Sri Lankan authorities must stop allowing such atrocious cruelty and send this poor elephant to a reputable sanctuary where she can be assessed by veterinarians and, if treatment is viable, live out her remaining years in peace.”

She continued, “We remind everyone that elephants don’t naturally obey human commands or allow humans to ride on their backs. They do so because mahouts (handlers) carry bullhooks – iron rods with a sharp hook on one end – to dig into their flesh and other weapons that they learned as babies to fear.”

Allen added, “Tourists visiting Sri Lanka can help elephants by refusing to ride them and by avoiding any attraction that offers or endorses elephant rides, keeps the animals chained, or forces them to perform – including the Pinnawala Elephant “Orphanage” and Dehiwala Zoo.”

Sadly, Tikiri died on 24 September 2019 aged 70 in Kegalle after confronting illness.

During her lifetime, she was used for mainly tourists trekking and for religious festivals.