7 January 2022 04:10 pm
Global musician Cher has slammed the Department of National Zoological Gardens including its Director General Shermila Rajapaksa for allegedly exploiting the new baby twin elephants after the 'Rally for Animal Rights and Environment' (RARE) movement shared a video on its Twitter showing the newly born elephants and their mother in Pinnawala being allegedly forced to bathe for media publicity.
The RARE organization in a message on its Twitter account alleged that the new Zoo DG of Sri Lanka, had held a media fiasco with the captive-born elephant twins at the Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage claiming that the video shared by them showed the elephant mother and nanny being dragged by the ear and forced into the water for her to go live on camera.
The video was shared on Twitter and has received condemnation.
Following the Tweet, international artiste, Cher in a tweet lashed out alleging Shermila Rajapaksa cared nothing for the twin elephants as she was a bureaucrat.
"She is only interested in making money for the zoo, which will exploit them until their premature deaths. Elephants will make the zoo a fortune and then the elephants, the monther nanny will be heartbroken and traumatized forever. Ask the zoo if mom and twins will live together," Cher lashed out.
She further tweeted on the video, "Does this look right, human to anyone? These babies are terrified, they want their mother. Why do people sell their soul for money? Elephants have delicate feet, they have died in zoos. Im just trying to warn you. You can see the confusion and cruelty for yourself," Cher said.
Her third tweet read, "This is a f****** crime. Elephants are like humans. They need family forever. Will there be mahouts/handlers. If so some journalists, citizens must make sure elephants are not made docile by fear of the bullhook. Elephants walk 15 plus miles a day with their family. How many miles a day in the zoo," the singer questioned.
The baby twin elephant births were the first recorded in Sri Lanka's history at the Pinnawala Elephant orphanage and are now about four months old.
They will be named on January 11.