Pm's Decision Not To Send Veda To Armenia Hailed

[Nakharar]

Zee News, India

May 1 2005

 

 

PM's decision not to send Veda to Armenia hailed

 

 

London, May 01: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's reported decision not

to send Veda, a six-year-old female elephant from Bannerghatta

National Park near Bangalore, to an Armenian zoo has been hailed by

UK-based born free foundation, saying India was leading the way for

other nations to follow.

 

"We are absolutely delighted that Dr Singh has made this

compassionate decision to keep Veda in Bannerghatta where she

belongs," said Virginia McKenna, founder of the Born Free Foundation,

an NGO working for animal welfare, and star of the film Born Free.

 

"There is no doubt in my mind that the suffering Veda would have had

to endure through being uprooted from her family would have been

immense. I would like to thank all those that have offered us their

support in this campaign", she said.

 

McKenna said "India is leading the way for other nations to follow"

and added "we truly hope that the use of animals as diplomatic gifts

will soon become a thing of the past, and would like to strongly

encourage other countries to follow India's example."

 

Earlier, when it was announced that Veda was to be sent to Armenia to

join the only male elephant in Yerevan zoo there, animal rights

activists opposed it pointing at the conditions in the Armenian zoo.

 

Alison Hood, head of campaigns for Born Free Foundation recently

visited the Yerevan zoo in Armenia.

 

"The conditions at the zoo are clearly inappropriate for elephants,"

said hood. "Yerevan suffers severe winters, with temperatures often

falling below freezing (point), in stark contrast to the conditions

Veda currently enjoys in India."