The Manila Symphony Orchestra offers a song to Mali the elephant

The Manila Symphony Orchestra is just the latest in a long list of celebrities to call for the release of Mali the elephant from Manila Zoo. What's different about their call is that they are dedicating a piece of classical music—Camille Saint-Saëns'  “The Elephant”—and People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) will be using its video as their brand-new public service announcement.

 

 

"The call for Mali's transfer grows louder by the minute—only the Manila Zoo and city officials are standing in the way," says PETA Asia campaign coordinator Rochelle Regodon. "We welcome the support of one of the oldest symphony orchestras in Asia, and we call on officials to take notice and transfer Mali now."

 

Mali has been living in a 5-acre pen within Manila Zoo for 36 years and suffers from a potentially fatal foot ailment. A lush sanctuary in Thailand has offered to take her in and treat her illness, but her zookeepers and the local government were adamantly against this. The zookeepers, at the head of which is Dr. Donald Manalastas, Manila Zoo's resident zoologist, claimed that Mali would not be able to survive the flight to Thailand.

 

Last year, PETA and Dr. Manalastas had a fierce debate over Mali's well-being.

 

In April, Malacañang said it was waiting for the Department of Agriculture's recommendation regarding Mali.

 

In July, Mayor Joseph “Erap” Estrada said that they were adding two more elephants to the zoo to keep Mali company.

 

The operators of Zoobic Safari in Subic have offered to take Mali in permanently as well, but the zoo officials have rejected the offer. Mayor Estrada has instead given the go signal for a temporary transfer while Manila Zoo is renovated.

 

In spite of all the hullabaloo over her fate, Mali remains one of Manila Zoo's main attractions.

 

For more information, visit http://www.petaasiapacific.com/ — TJD, GMA News