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Stop gift of Indian Elephant to Armenia: Born Free Foundation:
[World News]: London, Feb 1 : Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's intervention
has been sought by an international wildlife and animal welfare charity to
prevent transfer of a Bangalore based elephant to Armenia.
"The Born Free Foundation urges the Indian Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh
to reconsider this gift and to call the move off," its CEO Will Travers said
here last night.
He said the Foundation, founded by actors Virginia McKenna and Bill Travers,
believed that there were many other ways of improving relations between New
Delhi and Yerevan which would not involve the potential suffering and
possible demise of animals.
Virginia McKenna, OBE, who starred in the classic 1966 movie "Born Free",
said "It is deeply disheartening that the custom of using animals as
diplomatic gifts still continues. Animals are not inanimate objects and
certainly deserve to be treated with due respect for their nature and needs.
"The proposed removal of an elephant from Bangalore to Yerevan Zoo
highlights the urgent need for this issue to be addressed on an
international basis, and I can only hope that it is not too late to change
hearts and minds. Not only for this elephant, but in future no more animals
should be used in this way."
According to information received by the Foundation, the Elephant is due to
leave Bangalore and is destined for Yerevan. The exchange is in the form of
a diplomatic gift consigned by the Indian Prime Minister to his counterpart
in Armenia, the foundation cliamed. PTI
[World News]: London, Feb 1 : Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's intervention
has been sought by an international wildlife and animal welfare charity to
prevent transfer of a Bangalore based elephant to Armenia.
"The Born Free Foundation urges the Indian Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh
to reconsider this gift and to call the move off," its CEO Will Travers said
here last night.
He said the Foundation, founded by actors Virginia McKenna and Bill Travers,
believed that there were many other ways of improving relations between New
Delhi and Yerevan which would not involve the potential suffering and
possible demise of animals.
Virginia McKenna, OBE, who starred in the classic 1966 movie "Born Free",
said "It is deeply disheartening that the custom of using animals as
diplomatic gifts still continues. Animals are not inanimate objects and
certainly deserve to be treated with due respect for their nature and needs.
"The proposed removal of an elephant from Bangalore to Yerevan Zoo
highlights the urgent need for this issue to be addressed on an
international basis, and I can only hope that it is not too late to change
hearts and minds. Not only for this elephant, but in future no more animals
should be used in this way."
According to information received by the Foundation, the Elephant is due to
leave Bangalore and is destined for Yerevan. The exchange is in the form of
a diplomatic gift consigned by the Indian Prime Minister to his counterpart
in Armenia, the foundation cliamed. PTI