BANGKOK – Sak Surin, an elephant gifted to Sri Lanka in 2001, arrived home yesterday following concerns from animal rights groups about the alleged mistreatment of the mammal.
The 29-year-old male jumbo flew out from Colombo airport yesterday morning inside a specially constructed giant steel crate onboard a cargo plane and arrived safely in Chiang Mai at about 2pm after a five-hour flight.
Natural Resources and Environment Minister Varawut Silpa-archa welcomed the jumbo at the airport.
In a statement, the ministry said the 4,000kg Sak Surin was transported yesterday by trailer to the Thai Elephant Conservation Centre in Lampang for a 30-day quarantine and medical care.
Upon his arrival, the veterinarians performed a health check on the elephant, and his condition was reported to be normal.
Earlier, Thai officials said the government had allocated 19.5 million baht to bring Sak Surin home.
Sak Surin is one of the three elephants gifted by Thailand to Sri Lanka as a goodwill ambassador for Thailand.
However, last year, animal rights groups lodged complaints, alleging mistreatment that resulted in a serious deterioration in its health condition.
The media reported that Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena told Parliament in June that he had personally conveyed Sri Lanka’s regrets to the Thai king over the elephant’s condition.
AFP reported that Sak Surin, also known as Muthu Raja, was in pain and covered in abscesses when it was rescued from its previous abode last year.
The news report quoted animal welfare groups as saying the elephant had been forced to work with a logging crew and its wounds, some allegedly inflicted by its handler, had been neglected. – Bernama, July 3, 2023
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