Hindustan Times, India
March 19 2005

PM’s gesture overwhelms Born Free star

Vijay Dutt

London, March 18, 2005|23:28 IST

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has refused to send “Veda”, a
six-year-old she-elephant to Armenia after deciding to ban the
practice of gifting animals to heads of states or government or
foreign zoos. Veda was gifted to the President of Armenia.

The move came in the wake of a letter written by actress and activist
Virginia McKenna, who starred in the film Born Free and is attached
to the Born Free Foundation. She has been campaigning to save Veda,
presently residing in the Bannerghatta National Park near Bangalore.

“I’m over the moon. I’m overjoyed and grateful to the Indian Prime
Minister. It is the best gift that he could have given to the Born
Free Foundation on its 21st anniversary,” she said Virginia McKenna,
praising Prime Minister Singh.

She had recently written to the Prime Minister urging him to ban the
inhuman practice.

She had asked whether this ban would include Veda. The letter further
asked, “what happens if Armenia wants to buy her?”

The foundation has sent a representative to the Yerevan zoo in
Armenia. It was found that Veda would be kept in a closed enclosure
and spend many months locked indoors due to the country’s freezing
winter climate.

McKenna had noted if Veda would be moved away from her family, she
would die young.

The foundation is an international wildlife charity working
throughout the world to prevent wild animal suffering and protect
threatened species in the wild.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress