03/09/2021
Dear Sirs
I write concerning the new born elephant twins housed at Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage, whilst I have grave concerns for their future prospects of immediate concern is their current wellbeing and welfare.
Sadly, I note the following from various video footage and images circulating on social media and in the press:
1. The mother elephant is currently chained resulting in reduced mobility levels and increased stress levels
2. The entire family is housed in a small pen with a hard concrete floor
3. No tank or receptacle holding clean drinking water appears to be available to the mother elephant to drink from freely
I urgently ask that:
1. The mother is unchained immediately to enable her to care for the twins properly and reduce stress levels
2. The floor of the pen housing the elephant family is covered with a very deep layer of soft sand and a sand pile made in one corner. This will help to reduce strain on the elephant’s feet and limbs & will promote natural behaviors, such as foraging and digging, as well as providing a soft surface for the calves to sleep on. Providing sand substrate will also allow the elephants to dust themselves to assist with thermoregulation. Ideally a larger pen should be made available as soon as possible.
3. If not already available a tank or other suitable receptacle containing drinking water is made available so the mother elephant can drink freely, as is essential for a nursing mother.
I also suggest that consideration should be given to allowing 'Surangi' the mother elephant to choose an elephant nanny to assist her in raising the twins. Having a nanny assist is beneficial to both the mother and the calves and is entirely natural for an elephant who would be in a matriarchal herd in the wild.
The way this elephant family is currently housed is simply unacceptable by today’s standards, these simple inexpensive remedies will help to offer the family at least some comfort and give the calves a better chance of survival which I would hope would be of primary importance.
I look forward to a positive response indicating that this elephant family's welfare and wellbeing is your foremost concern.
Yours faithfully
(NAME & COUNTRY)
The way the new born twin elephants at Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage are currently housed is simply unacceptable by modern standards 💔 Please help us campaign to secure improved conditions for this elephant family 🙏
‼ ACTION TO TAKE ‼ Send this easy "copy and paste" email to send to Minister for Wildlife and the Director General of Zoo dept. Don’t forget to add your name and country of residence at the end.
📧 EMAIL TO: [email protected] ; [email protected]
👉 SUBJECT: Elephant Twins (or choose a subject yourself)
👉 Email text follows –
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Dear Sirs
I write concerning the new born elephant twins housed at Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage, whilst I have grave concerns for their future prospects of immediate concern is their current wellbeing and welfare.
Sadly, I note the following from various video footage and images circulating on social media and in the press:
1. The mother elephant is currently chained resulting in reduced mobility levels and increased stress levels
2. The entire family is housed in a small pen with a hard concrete floor
3. No tank or receptacle holding clean drinking water appears to be available to the mother elephant to drink from freely
I urgently ask that:
1. The mother is unchained immediately to enable her to care for the twins properly and reduce stress levels
2. The floor of the pen housing the elephant family is covered with a very deep layer of soft sand and a sand pile made in one corner. This will help to reduce strain on the elephant’s feet and limbs & will promote natural behaviors, such as foraging and digging, as well as providing a soft surface for the calves to sleep on. Providing sand substrate will also allow the elephants to dust themselves to assist with thermoregulation. Ideally a larger pen should be made available as soon as possible.
3. If not already available a tank or other suitable receptacle containing drinking water is made available so the mother elephant can drink freely, as is essential for a nursing mother.
I also suggest that consideration should be given to allowing 'Surangi' the mother elephant to choose an elephant nanny to assist her in raising the twins. Having a nanny assist is beneficial to both the mother and the calves and is entirely natural for an elephant who would be in a matriarchal herd in the wild.
The way this elephant family is currently housed is simply unacceptable by today’s standards, these simple inexpensive remedies will help to offer the family at least some comfort and give the calves a better chance of survival which I would hope would be of primary importance.
I look forward to a positive response indicating that this elephant family's welfare and wellbeing is your foremost concern.
Yours faithfully
(NAME & COUNTRY)
