Not a good idea to send elephants to another country

I WRITE as a concerned Malay-sian regarding the transfer of three elephants – Dara, Amoi and Kelat – from Taiping Zoo and Night Safari, Perak, to Tennoji Zoo in Osaka, Japan, last month (“Taiping Zoo sends three elephants to Osaka in wildlife collaboration”, The Star, March 12; online at bit.ly/star_elephants). While described as a conservation collaboration, this move has raised significant concerns about animal welfare and transparency.

Elephants are among the most intelligent and socially complex land mammals. They form strong family bonds, display empathy, and depend heavily on stable social structures and spacious natural environments for their physical and psychological wellbeing. Relocating them across countries into a confined, unfamiliar urban environment can be highly stressful and potentially harmful.