Neil Nitin Mukesh advocates not to take elephant rides. Here’s why

Aug 12 is the ‘World Elephant Day’, and on this occasion, actor Neil Nitin Mukesh will be spreading awareness about the suffering of elephants.

In the second campaign for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India, Neil is seen taking off a blindfold from his eyes, next to the words, “Don’t be blind to their suffering. Elephants used for rides are beaten and chained.”

Neil revealed to a leading daily, “When I was child, I used to enjoy going on … elephant rides. Then one day, an incident happened. I saw the elephant being ill-treated which affected me as a child. Since childhood, we have been getting Lord Ganesha at home, so it was hypocritical and contradictory. We worship Lord Ganesha (yet) we torture the animal we worship. So it started off from there. Somewhere personally, it came to me where I thought this needs to be voiced”

A PETA-commissioned investigation of elephant training in Nepal and an Animal Welfare Board of India-authorised inspection of elephants used for rides in Jaipur has revealed that these animals endure constant physical and emotional abuse. So when the babies of elephants are only 2 years, they are taken away from their mothers and are tied up between trees with heavy ropes or chains to a tiny wooden enclosure.

ALSO READ: Neil Nitin Mukesh ousted from a web series

Prajakta Ajgaonkar

Passionate about writing, and a Bollywood lover, she is all that is sweet and endearing! She desires to put her best foot forward in everything that she does and loves to help anyone who’s in need.