Free Mali, The Elephant Striving To Survive

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Growing up, I would visit zoos both local and outside the country very often and even as a child, it had been a concern to me how the animals inside their cages must have been feeling. Considering that some if not most of the animals I see inside the zoos I've visited have been treated fairly, I cannot help but wonder about one animal I've been visiting numerous times my whole life. If you're a Filipino living in Manila, I'm pretty sure you've been familiar with this gentle giant too.-Mali, the 39 year old elephant held in captivity in our very own Manila Zoo.

In a barren pen, Mali spends her days pacing the same concrete area over and over again. Transferred from Sri Lanka to the Manila Zoo when she was just a baby, Mali has lived a life of deprivation since 1977.

As an elephant, Mali needs the company of other elephants in order to survive. Elephtants need a vast space to run around, and live free and happily. Especially females who stay with their families FOR LIFE.

Youngsters are taught life skills, such as how to use different kinds of leaves and mud to ward off sunburn and insect bites. Births are joyous celebrations. Deaths of loved ones are mourned. Although Mali has not seen another elephant in more than 30 years, elephants in similar circumstances have been brought to sanctuaries to live happy lives among their own kind. Wouldn't you think poor Mali deserved the same?

Around the world there has been growing recognition that the complex needs of elephants cannot be met in captivity and dozens of zoos have closed their elephant displays. The government of India has ordered that all elephants in zoos be transfered to sanctuaries or reserves.

It is no wonder that during my recent visit to South Africa's animal reserve, regardless of how big of a place it was, and how much grassland it covered, they could not keep elephants within their fences because of how much elaborate care these animals needed.

But despite a directive from Philippine President Benigno Aquino III stating that Mali's health should be evaluated and that she should be considered for transfer, the Manila Zoo is doing everything that it can to delay the move.

In the wild, Mali would spend her days in the company of her herd—which she'd never leave—foraging, bathing and playing in rivers, and roaming vast territories. Now Mali has the chance to live the life that she can currently only dream of.

As a young person, I still enjoy visiting zoos and observing all the beautiful animals they have and I have learned a lot doing so.

As fellow citizen of the Philippines, I wonder how I can say I am proud of my citizenship seeing the cruelty imposed on such an innocent creature happening in the very land I belong to. I know that as Filipinos, we can show the world that we can come together and unite to take a stand for what's right.

Take action now! Just one click could make a big difference.

Visit FreeMali.com for more info