‘Neglected’ elephant back in Thailand after diplomatic spat escalated over alleged mistreatment

The 29-year-old elephant was given by Thailand to Sri Lanka almost two decades ago as a gift

File. Asian elephant Sak Surin, gifted by the Thai Royal family and named Muthu Raj or pearly king in Sri Lanka, stands by a water pond at the national zoological garden in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Friday, 30 June 2023 (Associated Press)

A Thai elephant that was allegedly mistreated in Sri Lanka — and which led to a diplomatic spat between Colombo and Thailand — was flown back to Bangkok on Sunday.

The 29-year-old elephant – named Muthu Raj but also known as Sak Surin in its birthplace – was given by Thailand to Sri Lanka almost two decades ago as a gift.

Last year, Thai authorities demanded that Colombo return the elephant after reports floated around of its alleged mistreatment at a Buddhist temple in Sri Lanka’s south.

Local media reported that on Sunday, Muthu Raj, weighing 4000kgs was taken in a commercial flight for repatriation that Thai officials said had cost them $700,000.

The airport manager told the media that the Ilyushin IL-76 cargo plane carrying the elephant took off around 7.40am local time.

“He arrived in Chiang Mai perfectly,” Thailand’s environment minister Varawut Silpa-archa said at the airport.

“He travelled five hours and nothing is wrong, his condition is normal.”

“If everything goes well, we will move him,” he added, referring to plans to quarantine the elephant at a nearby nature reserve.

Muthu Raj was accompanied by four Thai handlers and a Sri Lankan keeper, with two CCTV cameras monitoring its health in transit.

The chief veterinarian at the Dehiwala Zoo, Madusha Perera, was quoted as saying by AFP that Muthu Raj was in pain and covered in abscesses when it was rescued from its previous abode last year.

The organisation Rally for Animal Rights and Environment [RARE], which led a campaign to rescue Muthu Raj from the temple, expressed its unhappiness over the animal’s departure.

RARE organised a Buddhist blessing for the elephant on Friday ahead of its journey. It also petitioned authorities to prosecute those it says are responsible for neglecting the animal.

Sri Lanka’s wildlife minister Pavithra Wanniarachchi said Thailand was “adamant” in its demands for the elephant’s return.

Additional reporting with agencies