The 70-year-old elephant who was forced to parade in a Buddhist festival despite her poor health condition has passed away.
Photos of Tikiiri, the female elephant, lying on the ground with bones very visible through her skin stunned the world when they were shared online last month.
Her condition didn’t improve and her passing was confirmed on Tuesday.
The Thailand-based charity, Save Elephant Foundation, who fought to save her, has spoken of ‘sorrow and relief’ in the wake of Tikiiri’s death.
The elephant’s owner said to Metro.co.uk that Tikiiri passed away on Tuesday afternoon. A vet would arrive to conduct a post-mortem.
A source said to the outlet that the elephant had spent a lifetime serving as a slave. She and 60 other elephants had to walk for miles as part of the Buddhist festival Esala Perahera.
The 10-day festival features decorated animals, jugglers, musicians, fire-breathers, and other performers.
Save Elephant Foundation released a photo of Tikiiri standing among other animals looking sick. The group shared how the female elephant was just covered with a colorful costume but her emaciated body was hidden from watchers.
“Tikiri joins in the parade early every evening until late at night every night for ten consecutive nights, amidst the noise, the fireworks, and smoke,” the foundation said.
“She walks many kilometres every night so that people will feel blessed during the ceremony.”
Founder Lek Chailert said that all the elephants are ‘short shackled’ to each other so they walk slowly through the streets.
Tikiiri was returned to her owner but she didn’t recover.
“The sad news is just out tonight that Tikiri passed away this evening. There is both sorrow and relief here. To think of her brings such pain to my heart,” the group said in a statement.
“That hard service was her life, and not freedom, carries for me a commitment to others who yet suffer.
“That we could not help her before her eyes would shut forever fosters a renewed courage, and bears a responsibility for us to find safe refuges for all of the captive Giants born under the yoke of Man. What we wished for Tikiri, even a few days of freedom with love and care, we will demand for others.
“The day that I met Tikiri, her eyes locked with mine, telling me all that I needed to know. Her own fear and anger and sorrow is now part of that longer memory of her kind which should bear us no affection.
“Tikiri’s suffering has ended, her soul is now free. No more harm can come to her.
“RIP dear Tikiri. Never look back to this world so cruel toward you and your friends.”
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