CELEBRITIES PETITION CHIEF MINISTERS TO BECOME 'ELE-FRIENDS'

Celebrities Including Dilip Kumar, Saira Banu, John Abraham, Raveena Tandon and Others Petition Chief Ministers to Follow Mumbai's Lead and Ban Entry of Elephants Into Urban Areas

Mumbai – What do you get when you put celebrities including Dilip Kumar, Saira Banu, John Abraham and Raveena Tandon together with People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals India (PETA)? A very loud statement of compassion for elephants who live in cities where they are forced to walk on scorching-hot, pothole-ridden roads in busy traffic amid a cacophony of horns and engines. That's why many of the biggest celebrities in India like Dilip Kumar, Saira Banu, John Abraham, Raveena Tandon, MP Priya Dutt, Director Sanjay Leela Bhansali, Isha Koppikar, Mahesh Bhatt, Yana Gupta, Rahul Khanna, Celina Jaitley, Gulshan Grover and many others have signed PETA's petition urging chief ministers across the country to ban the entry of elephants into urban areas. This petition is timed to mark the one-year anniversary of the death of elephant Lakshmi, who was killed by a truck last September. The government of Maharashtra has already banned the entry of elephants into Mumbai.

Why does life in the streets mean misery for elephants? They are prodded and hooked with sharp, metal ankuses that cause pain and suffering. When they are not working, the elephants are chained by their legs – unable even to move a single step. They commonly suffer from potentially deadly foot ailments, skin problems, eye infections and cataracts. Allowing elephants in crowded urban areas also poses a danger to the public. Frightened elephants have rampaged – killing mahouts and scattering crowds.
Elephants are highly intelligent and social animals; in the wild, females live in close-knit family groups for life. They spend about 18 hours a day walking, feeding, bathing in water holes and interacting with other elephants. They are known to mourn the loss of relatives – just as humans do. In captivity, elephants are separated from their families as babies and are sentenced to a lifetime of boredom, loneliness and abuse.
"We hope that other governments will emulate the progressive step of the government of Maharashtra – the petition should serve as a wake-up call", says PETA Chief Functionary Anuradha Sawhney.

For more information, please visit PETAIndia.com.
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CELEBRITIES PETITION CHIEF MINISTERS TO BECOME 'ELE-FRIENDS'

Celebrities Including Dilip Kumar, Saira Banu, John Abraham, Raveena Tandon and Others Petition Chief Ministers to Follow Mumbai's Lead and Ban Entry of Elephants Into Urban Areas

Mumbai – What do you get when you put celebrities including Dilip Kumar, Saira Banu, John Abraham and Raveena Tandon together with People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals India (PETA)? A very loud statement of compassion for elephants who live in cities where they are forced to walk on scorching-hot, pothole-ridden roads in busy traffic amid a cacophony of horns and engines. That's why many of the biggest celebrities in India like Dilip Kumar, Saira Banu, John Abraham, Raveena Tandon, MP Priya Dutt, Director Sanjay Leela Bhansali, Isha Koppikar, Mahesh Bhatt, Yana Gupta, Rahul Khanna, Celina Jaitley, Gulshan Grover and many others have signed PETA's petition urging chief ministers across the country to ban the entry of elephants into urban areas. This petition is timed to mark the one-year anniversary of the death of elephant Lakshmi, who was killed by a truck last September. The government of Maharashtra has already banned the entry of elephants into Mumbai.

Why does life in the streets mean misery for elephants? They are prodded and hooked with sharp, metal ankuses that cause pain and suffering. When they are not working, the elephants are chained by their legs – unable even to move a single step. They commonly suffer from potentially deadly foot ailments, skin problems, eye infections and cataracts. Allowing elephants in crowded urban areas also poses a danger to the public. Frightened elephants have rampaged – killing mahouts and scattering crowds.
Elephants are highly intelligent and social animals; in the wild, females live in close-knit family groups for life. They spend about 18 hours a day walking, feeding, bathing in water holes and interacting with other elephants. They are known to mourn the loss of relatives – just as humans do. In captivity, elephants are separated from their families as babies and are sentenced to a lifetime of boredom, loneliness and abuse.
"We hope that other governments will emulate the progressive step of the government of Maharashtra – the petition should serve as a wake-up call", says PETA Chief Functionary Anuradha Sawhney.

For more information, please visit PETAIndia.com.

Actor Rahul Khanna Says, 'Elephants Do Not Belong in Zoos'

Posing next to the tagline "Beaten, Shackled, Abused – Elephants Do Not Belong in Zoos", actor Rahul Khanna stars in a new ad for PETA. In the ad, Khanna appears in chains, with bruises painted all over his body. The ad was shot by top photographer Colston Julian.

Why is Rahul Khanna speaking up for elephants living in captivity? Last year, Laxmi, an elephant in Mumbai, died after being hit by a speeding tanker. Because proper medical attention could not be provided, Laxmi suffered from a broken leg and spinal injuries for a day before she died. Another elephant in Mumbai was frightened by a fire cracker and fell on a car. The mahout fled the scene, and the elephant rampaged. According to media reports, an entire platoon of SRPF and 60 police personnel were called in to subdue her.

An elephant requires almost 200 kgs of food – and more than 150 L of water – every day, yet many people who own elephants openly admit that they cannot afford to feed the animals this much food. Elephants' feet are not equipped to walk on tarred roads, yet elephants living in captivity are often forced to spend the entire day - and much of the night – walking on tarred roads. Elephants in cities cause traffic obstructions and pose a threat to the general public. Mahouts use elephants for begging and have even used elephants to intimidate people in order to get money from them.

Elephants are social creatures, and in the wild, female elephants live in closely knit family groups. Elephants living in the wild spend about 18 hours a day walking, feeding, bathing in water holes and interacting with each other. They are intelligent and sensitive animals and are known to mourn the loss of relatives – just as humans do. Conditions in captivity fail to provide an interesting, stimulating and rewarding environment for elephants. In zoos and cities, animals are separated from their families as babies and sentenced to a lifetime of boredom, loneliness and even abuse. Zoos claim that they educate people and preserve species, but they rarely succeed on either count. Zoos present visitors with a distorted view of wildlife. Conditions in zoos cause many animals to engage in self-mutilation and other abnormal and self-destructive behaviours.

"Zoos cannot provide for the complex needs of the animals whom they hold captive", says Rahul. "These majestic animals belong in the wild, but instead they are locked up like criminals – even though they've committed no crime. A more respectful way to observe these animals is through the fascinating wildlife programmes available to everyone on TV."