‘Pink’ Elephant Death Prompts PETA India To Demand Russian Artist Pull Print or Donate Proceeds to Elephant Protection

London/Jaipur – Following outrage over images of captive elephant Chanchal painted bright pink for a photoshoot in Rajasthan, India after she was reported dead, PETA India has sent a letter to Russian artist Julia Buruleva urging her to immediately pull the commercial print from her website or donate all proceeds from the print to advance elephant conservation or protection efforts in India. Buruleva is selling the print for up to Rs. 3 lakh (£360) each, as evidenced on her website.

In the letter, Dr. Mini Aravindan, Senior Director of Veterinary Affairs for PETA India, writes, “I am writing to urge you to either immediately take down the print depicting the elephant Chanchal, who was used in your photoshoot and has been reported to have died, or to donate all proceeds of the sale of the pink elephant print toward keeping elephants in their forest homes in India, such as to PETA India’s mechanical elephant project, or to a genuine elephant sanctuary like Wildlife SOS or Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre where rescued elephants are kept unchained, never controlled with weapons, and have the company of other elephants.”

Chanchal is reported by some media to have been 70 years old. Addressing the artist’s public claims that the paint could not have contributed to the elderly elephant’s death, the letter from the veteran veterinarian states that “it is not possible to wholly rule out the health impacts of the paint” towards her demise. Dr. Aravindan writes, “The paint was near the elephant’s eyes, ears, trunk, mouth, and genitals. Coating an elephant’s skin – especially around sensitive areas, can pose risks, especially for animals in vulnerable health, including irritation, ingestion during grooming/feeding, stress, and aggravation of pre‑existing conditions, even when products are marketed as ‘safe’. 

The letter also underscores other cruelty elephants used for rides at Amer Fort, like Chanchal had been facing, “They are also chained and kept on concrete when not in use, like cars in a garage, and controlled with weapons often carefully hidden under costume and decorations”. 

PETA India’s mechanical elephant campaign donates mechanical elephants to places like temples and for processions.

PETA – whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to use for entertainment” – points out that Every Animal Is Someone and offers free Empathy Kits. For more information, please visit PETA.org.uk or follow PETA on Facebook, X, TikTok, or Instagram.

Contact:

Jennifer White +44 (0) 20 7837 6327; [email protected]

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