Sri Lanka, stop the cruel use of elephants in religious festivals

~THIS PETITION WAS CLOSED BUT HAS BEEN RE-OPENED~

In Sri Lanka, the perahera or festival, is an age old Buddhist tradition where elephants are adorned in elaborate decor, and used in parades. It is not only a local tradition, but a popular tourist attraction. However, behind the glitz and glamour, is suffering and cruelty. This so called tradition, has little to do with religion, which corrupt monks and politicians would have you believe. Instead, the elephants are used to make huge profits. Furthermore, there is nothing in the Buddhist sriptures, stating that elephants should be used in festivlas. In fact, one of the tenets of Buddhism, is Ahimsa, non harm to all living beings.

Here is a list of the types of cruelty, the elephants in festivlas must endure...

~Elephants participate in numerous festivals during the festival season. They are transported from one to another, in flat bed trucks, often at very high speeds, which makes them dizzy, fearful, and puts them at risk of accidents. Or, they must walk miles in the sweltering heat, on the hot tar roads, which is very hard on their sensitive feet.

~They are deprived of sleep, and are also deprived of food and water to keep them from urinating or defecating on the streets during the festival.

~They are subjected to massive crowds, loud noises, drums, and many times fire, all of which, is very stressful for them. There are countless incidents of elephants who were so stressed, and scared, they ran amok, injuring themselves, other elephants, and people. Many times it has even resulted in death.

~Male elephants go throuhg a musth period, where their testosterone levels are extremely high. They are not supposed to be used in festivals if they are in musht, but are still used. This is another cause of elephants running amok.

~It has also been reported, that many of the elephants are also drugged, to keep them under control.

~The decor they wear, is extremely heavy, and can even include lights, along with a battery, that is strapped onto them. And the heavy covering over their ears, causes excessive heat, because the ears are their cooling system.

~They sometimes carry up to four people at once. Contrary to popular belief, elephants have weak spines, and are not meant to carry heavy weight, which results in health problems, including arthritis and foot problems, both contributors of early of death in captive elephants.

~Under their elaborate decor, they are in chains. Their back feet are shackled, sometimes even with spikes, which can cut into the skin and cause wounds.

~They are kept in check by mahouts or handlers with bull hooks or spears, often times causing wounds, somtimes even deliberately. The mahouts are known to drink alcohol during the festivals, increasing injuries and abuse.

~Before and after the festivals, the elephants are kept chained for hours on end.

~All elephants used for festivals, are either from temples or private owners, who rent them out for huge profits. Whether owned by a temple or a private owner, the elephants live their entire lives chained or shackled, sometimes barely abe to move or turn around. Some of them are rented out for trekking, events, or hard labor.

~The majoritry of elephants owned by both temples and private owners are not properly cared for and rarely get vet care. As a result, many elephants in the festivals are in poor physical condition. There is documentation of an emaciated female elephant being used at Sri Lanka's most famous festival in Kandy.

~And as with all captive elephants, they are ripped away from their mothers as babies, usually from the wild, and beaten or "broken" to break their spirit in order to train them.

Elephants are highly intelligent, sensitive and social creatures who live in herds in the wild, walking up to 30 miles a day on the soft earth, eating a variety of vegetation. They are a national treasure, and Sri Lanka is blessed to have them, but the mistreatment of them is a national disgrace. On top of that, they are on the verge of extinction. It is time Sri Lanka thinks about the welfare of their majestic elephants, and realize that it is more important to protect them from cruelty and extinction, than to use them under the guise of religion for profit.

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