Muthuraja the elephant was flown back to Thailand this morning by a Russian plane due to torture and lack of proper care in Sri Lanka. For that, a Russian plane arrived today to Katunayake and the Thai government paid over Rs. 21 cores for this.
The Thai royal family gifted the elephant to the Sri Lankan government in 2001, naming the elephant Muthuraja and giving it an honorable role in religious processions.
However, the activist group Rally for Animal Rights and Environment, or RARE, has long alleged that Muthuraja was not being cared for properly. For that, videos were also published in the international media
‘This is not the end, but the beginning of a new life for Muthuraja,’ said RARE Group founder Panchali Panapitiya.
Last November, the elephant was transferred to Dehiwala Zoo in Sri Lanka for treatment.
The Ilyushin IL-76 cargo flight carrying Muthu Raja took off at around 7:40 am (GMT 0210 GMT) today, the airport manager said.
The elephant will be quarantined in a nature reserve after being taken to Thailand.
