Thailand had to bust $530,000 to fly ailing elephant back from Sri Lanka
Thailand had to bust $530,000 to fly an ailing elephant back from Sri Lanka for medical treatment and rehabilitation following accusations of mistreatment.
The male elephant, known in Sri Lanka as Muthu Raja (Pearly King) and Sak Surin (Mighty Surin) in Thailand, arrived in Chiang Mai on Sunday aboard a Russian Ilyushin IL-76 cargo plane, a six-hour trip that reportedly cost the Thai government 19 million baht (approximately $543,000), Next Shark reported.
Sak Surin’s possible return to Sri Lanka after receiving medical treatment reportedly has yet to be discussed.
The elephant was transported to the Thai Elephant Conservation Center in Lampang province, where he will spend at least 30 days in quarantine followed by rehabilitation.
Sak Surin was one of three elephants given to Sri Lanka by the Thai royal family in 2001, when he was around 10 years old, to be trained as a carrier of religious relics.
Sri Lanka-based animal rights group Rally for Animal Rights and Environment alleged in 2020 that Sak Surin, who was reportedly in bad health after years of hard labor and abuse, was in dire need of medical assistance.
The group eventually launched a petition calling for the return of the elephant to Thailand after the Sri Lankan government allegedly ignored their complaints.
A report noted that Sak Surin, who was underweight, also had rough skin and difficulty walking or standing due to his stiff left foreleg. He also has abscesses on both hips and thinning foot pads. (Colombo Gazette / Next Shark / Yahoo News)
