Mali to get companions, but not trip to sanctuary

MANILA, Philippines - Mali the elephant will stay at the Manila Zoo, where she will soon be in the company of a pair of fellow pachyderms.

Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada has rejected calls by the People for Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) to transfer Mali to a sanctuary in Thailand, saying the government of Sri Lanka will be giving two elephants to the city government to serve as Mali’s companions.

“Hindi na malulungkot si Mali. May kasama na siya (Mali will no longer be lonely, she’ll have companions),” Estrada said.

Estrada said Sri Lankan Ambassador to the Philippines Nawalage Bennet Cooray told him about the two elephants when the latter paid a courtesy call on him at the Manila City Hall last week.

He said Mali’s enclosure, which according to PETA is too small, would also be renovated along with other facilities in Manila Zoo.

PETA said Mali, who was alone for 35 years, has been suffering from loneliness and a possible fatal foot ailment.

Local and international celebrities have joined the calls to free Mali, including the US rock band Smashing Pumpkins; models Julia Sniegowski, Ornusa Cadness, Isabella Gonzalez and Sanya Smith; and singer Ely Buendia.

Actress Marian Rivera and her boyfriend-actor Dingdong Dantes have also joined calls for Mali’s transfer to a sanctuary.

Rivera and Dantes had their “mug shots” taken yesterday,each holding a card which read “Wants Mali Freed.”

“Being alone is emotional torture to elephants,” Dantes said.

‘No to more elephants’

Meanwhile, PETA campaign manager Rochelle Regodon said they would oppose Estrada’s plan to add two more elephants at the Manila Zoo.

“You can be assured that PETA would stop any imports of elephants from Sri Lanka and elsewhere. If you hate elephants, you should send them to Manila Zoo,” said Regodon.

“We hope Erap will show his leadership and do as he promised by sending Mali to a sanctuary where she is better off. PETA will not stop fighting until Mali is roaming free with her newfound friends,” she added.

The animal-rights group said all elephants should be in the company of other elephants and supervised by trained experts. Manila Zoo, where Mali has been staying for the last 36 years, does not have expert elephant handlers, it said.

Regodon said the public should see for themselves Mali’s condition at the zoo to confirm that she is not well taken care of.

“For eight months, Mali has been suffering due to debilitating foot problems and the zoo has taken no action to help her. To suggest that two elephants could be dropped into an enclosure which is too small for one shows a lack of understanding of the nature of elephants,” she said.

PETA also raised doubts if the animals in the zoo would receive proper care, even with its renovation.

“The zoo simply does not have 500 acres and a herd of elephants. The zoo has a proven track record of failing Mali and the other animals there… Mali cannot wait for two to three years for a foreign development company to come in and attempt to change the zoo. Even wealthy zoos around the world are closing their elephant exhibits in recognition of the fact that the needs of these animals simply can never be met in zoos,” PETA senior campaigner Ashley Fruno said.

Zoo renovation

Estrada said the two elephants would be turned over to the city government after the zoo’s repair and renovation this year.

Estrada said the zoo’s renovation would be under a build-operate-transfer scheme from a company based in Singapore.

Once approved by the city council chaired by Vice Mayor Isko Moreno, Estrada said it would be the first public-private partnership (PPP) project to be undertaken by his administration at Manila City Hall.

Estrada said Manila welcomes PPP investment and other business proposals, given the dire financial status of the city government.

Estrada said the investment project for Manila Zoo is, in fact, unsolicited.

Aside from the two elephants from Sri Lanka, Estrada said he is hoping that more animals would be donated to Manila Zoo. – With Evelyn Macairan