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Confined for no fault of theirs

Bindu Shajan Perappadan

FOR A CAUSE: Actor Rahul Khanna stars in a PETA-India advertisement to spread awareness about the plight of animals in zoos.

NEW DELHI: Actor Rahul Khanna stars in a brand new advertisement for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India posing next to the tagline "Beaten, Shackled, Abused: Elephants Don't Belong in Zoos''.

In the advertisement, shot by well-known photographer Colston Julian, Rahul is shown shackled in chains, with bruises painted on his body.

Complex needs

"Zoos cannot provide for the complex needs of the animals whom they hold captive. These majestic animals belong in the wild, but instead they are locked up like criminals even though they have committed no crime. A more respectful way to observe these animals is through the fascinating wildlife programmes available to everyone on TV,'' says Rahul, speaking up for the animals.

According to a PETA-India release, elephants are social creatures and in the wild, the females live in closely-knit family groups.

They spend about 18 hours a day walking, feeding, bathing in water holes and interacting with other elephants.

They are intelligent and sensitive animals and are known to mourn the loss of a relative, just as humans do.

Captive conditions fail to provide an interesting, stimulating and rewarding environment for elephants. In zoos and cities, animals are separated from their families as babies and are sentenced to a lifetime of boredom, loneliness and even abuse.

"Zoos claim that they educate people and preserve species, but they rarely succeed on either count. Zoos present visitors with a distorted view of wildlife. Conditions in zoos cause many animals to engage in self-mutilation and other abnormal and self-destructive behaviour,'' laments the release.

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