Manila Mayor Rejects Move For Lonely Elephant

The Mayor of Manila has refused to move a lonely elephant from the Philippine capital’s zoo to a Thai sanctuary because it would be a humiliation for the country.

According to reports Mayor Joseph Estrada has decided to ignore pleas from PETA, who have been campaigning to free Sri-Lankan born Mali for almost a decade, because it would show that they couldn’t care for her properly.

He told AFP: “Mali is just one elephant and sending her to Thailand would be embarrassing. It means we are not capable of taking care of one animal.”

According to animal rights groups, 39-year-old Mali is being kept in a small enclosure, hasn’t received veterinary care for years and is incredibly lonely.

Paul McCartney is just one of the famous faces who have backed the campaign which you can learn more about on the Free Mali the Elephant Facebook page.

Mali has no other elephants to keep her company at the zoo.