14 DAY TRIAL // Following in the footsteps of ex-Beatles Paul McCartney, celebrity Pamela Anderson just sent a letter to an Indian high official, asking that Sunder, a young elephant held captive in a temple and abused by its handler, is immediately released.
Sunder's story was brought under the spotlight by green-oriented organization PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals), whose members reported that this young elephant – together with many just like him – suffered considerable and repeated physical and psychological abuses at the hands of people supposedly hired to take care of it.
Pamela Anderson's letter to Vinay Kore, the leader of the Jan Surajya Shakti Party, reads as follows: “I’m sure you feel as I do that elephants are precious creatures of God, and it is a crime against Heaven that he could have been allowed to be treated like this. Sunder must be rescued without delay. May everyone, including me, count on you, please, to save this youngster?”
Furthermore, “He is the age of one of my sons, and as sensitive as anyone’s child. Like other victims of abuse, he will be scarred for life mentally, as he already is physically.”
As explained on PETA's website, most Indian temples require that elephants are kept in captivity as part of their religious rituals.
However, in spite of the fact that the Indian culture supposedly honors these animals and treats them with due respect, more often than not handlers do not abide by such rules and standards and abuse the animals, in an attempt to get them to obey and not cause any trouble.
Thus, as we already reported, Sunder had one of its eyes severely injured, not to mention the fact that it is kept in chains which limit its movements to a considerable extent.
Hopefully, Pamela Anderson's plea will be heard and Sunder will be taken away from the Jyotiba Temple in Kolhapur.
However, from where we stand, unless future efforts will be directed at putting an end to such abusive practices, freeing Sunder will only lead to its being replaced by another elephant, which will most likely be subjected to an equally cruel treatment.