Bigg Boss 18: Gadharaj aka Donkey Max gets EVICTED from the Salman Khan-hosted show after mounting pressure from PETA & PFA

Sunday, October 13, marked one week since the Salman Khan-hosted show premiered and fans were eagerly waiting to see who would be the first contestant evicted. Well, BB18’s first elimination took place during last night’s Weekend Ka Vaar episode and saw the show’s 19th contestant – Gadharaj aka Donkey Max, being made to leave.

For the unversed, Donkey Max is Bigg Boss 18 contestant advocate Gunaratna Sadavarte’s pet. The lawyer brought the donkey along with him on the show. While the contestants did spend some quality time with the animal, Gadharaj made headlines when several animal welfare organizations – including PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) and PFA (People For Animals), demanded that it be released. Amidst the uproar, the makers finally decided to release the donkey.

Donkey Max evicted from Bigg Boss 18

Over the past several days, PETA and PFA took to social media and rallied for the removal of Donkey Max from Bigg Boss 18. The organizations objected to the makers having a donkey on the show and using it for a social experiment. PETA also mentioned how using the animal for entertainment like a ‘prop’ was inappropriate. The organization – addressing a letter to host Salman Khan, demanded Max’s release and said the animal should live in a sanctuary with other rescued donkeys.

Now, People For Animals have reacted to the news of Gadharaj being removed from the BB18 house. PFA issued a statement that read, “OFFICIAL UPDATE: DONKEY RELEASED BY BIGG BOSS TEAM. We are pleased to inform you that the Bigg Boss team has updated us with the news that they have released the donkey. This success is a direct result of the collective efforts of everyone who supported and joined this cause. Thank you for standing with us and for showing that compassion and action can make a real difference.”

About Bigg Boss 18

Premiered on October 6, Bigg Boss 18 consists of eighteen contestant, including Shilpa Shirodkar, Vivian Dsena, Eisha Singh, Rajat Dalal, Chaahat Pandey and Shehzada Dhami. Also part of BB18 are well-known faces such as Avinash Mishra, Tajinder Singh Bagga, Shrutika Arjun, Nyrraa M Banerji, Chum Darang and Karan Veer Mehra. The remaining contestants on the show include Muskan Bamne, Hema Sharma aka Viral Bhabhi, Gunratan Sadavarte, Alice Kaushik, Arfeen Khan and Sara Arfeen Khan

Also Read: Stop comparing them to each other: Vivian Dsena’s wife reacts to fans slamming him for ‘copying’ late Sidharth Shukla in Bigg Boss 18