Paul McCartney Speaks Out for Mali the Elephant

Mali has spent 35 years at the Manila Zoo, where she endures intense confinement, loneliness, boredom and isolation in an area that is a miniscule fraction of the size of her natural habitat. She is the Philippines’ only captive elephant – and one of the world’s saddest.

There was some hope last year when the Office of the President issued a directive stating that she should be transferred to a sanctuary after an evaluation of her health. But it has been more than a year, and Mali still awaits her freedom.

We have hope once more, now that Paul McCartney is shining an international spotlight on this ailing elephant’s plight. He has sent an urgent letter to Philippine President Benigno Aquino III asking him to transfer Mali, without delay, to a lush, spacious sanctuary in Thailand, which awaits her arrival and will provide her with the crucial company of other elephants.

“I have great regard for governments that intervene in behalf of animals, just as yours did with the May 2012 directive ordering that Mali be evaluated and considered for transfer. That said, time is passing and it has been more than a year since that directive was issued, and yet Mali seems no closer to enjoying her well deserved retirement at an approved sanctuary”, Paul writes. “I have heard from my friends at PETA that various government authorities are continuing to deny that Mali’s welfare should be within their jurisdiction.”

He adds, “With the stroke of a pen, you can bring an end to her suffering and I urge you, with all my heart, to please direct that Mali be given that joy now”.

Studies have revealed that keeping a female elephant in solitary confinement is extremely detrimental to her mental health and well-being. In their natural habitats, female elephants spend their entire lives with their herds – every daily activity, from foraging for food to playing and bathing in rivers, is carried out in the presence of their extended family group. The zoo can never offer enough space for elephants, and Mali’s veterinary care has been virtually ignored for more than 36 years, resulting in foot problems, which veterinarians have said are causing her constant pain.

Join Paul, elephant experts and compassionate people from around the world in speaking out for Mali. Please write to the Ambassador of the Philippines in the UK and urge him to do all that he can to help move Mali to a sanctuary.