Ailing Thai Elephant Repatriated After 22 Years of Alleged Neglect

Thai elephant Sak Surin/Muthu Raja was returned to Thailand after activists claimed it suffered abuse in Sri Lanka for 22 years.
Sak Surin was sent to Sri Lanka as a gift from the Thai royal family to carry religious relics but fell into poor health and living conditions.
Thailand conducted an investigation and found the elephant required urgent medical care, prompting the decision to fly it home.
The elephant arrived in Thailand in good condition and was taken to the Thai Elephant Conservation Center for quarantine and rehabilitation at a cost of $700,000.
The elephant's return strained ties between Thailand and Sri Lanka and highlighted the controversial treatment of captive elephants.