Paul McCartney Pushes for the Release of Abused Young Elephant

PETA (People for Ethical Treatment of Animals) recently drew attention to a most unfortunate situation: a young elephant held in captivity in an Indian temple suffered extreme abuses at the hands of its handler.

Hearing the news, Paul McCartney decided to get involved and sent a letter to the Indian Forest Minister.

Apparently, numerous Indian temples keep elephants in captivity, supposedly for religious purposes. Thus, the people here are convinced that the animals represent the Hindu god Ganesha.

This might not be such a big problem – although, truth be told, elephants are supposed to live in the wild and by no means this close to people –, but it seems that some elephant handlers more often than not abuse the animals they should be taking care of.

By this we mean that the animals are kept in chains and beaten so as to make them obey the commands they receive from people.

As well as this, some of them are starved and proper veterinary care is almost inexistent.

The young elephant PETA now set its eyes on is called Sunder, and is presently held captive in the Jyotiba Temple, Maharashtra.

Members of said organization reported that the animal's handler purposely injured its right eye using a sharp object, and that its movements are confined to a large extent by chains wrapped around its feet.

Look to the Stars informs us that, immediately after hearing about the elephant's suffering, celebrity Paul McCartney decided to write a letter to the Indian Forest Minister, demanding that Sunder was immediately released and sent to a wildlife sanctuary.

According to the same source, his exact words were as follows: “I have seen photographs of young Sunder, the elephant kept alone in a shed at Jyotiba Temple and put in chains with spikes. Years of his life have been ruined by keeping him and abusing him in this way and enough is enough. I most respectfully call on you... to get Sunder out.”

Hopefully, the celebrity's claim will be given due consideration by those who can actually do something to put an end to such displays of animal cruelty.