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http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/5355638.stm?ls

What do you think of this, I think he looks rather fetching. I thought that it was an Indian tradition to paint elephants anyway.

I don't know if any of you have heard of the artist 'Bansky' but he comes from my home town of Bristol and I just love his irreverent art, please have a look at this site...

http://www.banksy.co.uk/menu.html

In the humane groups I am in, they scream abuse. I must agree. It's unnecessary.

RedGlitter wrote: In the humane groups I am in, they scream abuse. I must agree. It's unnecessary.


Do you think that putting a dogs hair in bunches or it wearing a funny looking coat is wrong as well? It might be unecessary but why is it inhumane?

Katy

I think dogs wearing coats or funny hairdos is not the same as making an elephant wear paint. Maybe it's nontoxic paint but imagine how that must feel to have a coat of that stuff on your skin for a long time. Elephants are a very tolerant animal but how do we know that just because the elephant isn't putting up a fight that he is not uncomfy wearing all that paint?

Red, when you go to India, you'll see that painting elephants in beautiful colors and designs is an ancient tradition there. The paint is non-toxic, (it's like chalk mixed with water) and the elephants are washed lovingly in the rivers by the mahouts, who treat their animals like family. (They have to...or the elephants'd toss 'em off and STOMP 'em.)

I saw the flapdoodle about this exhibit and thought it was an interesting way to illustrate the artist's point.

Inhumane? I'll have to step away from the PETA folks on that one....I'd be more concerned with the length of time she's standing in that room than a little paint.

it's no more inhumane than shaving a poodle.

SnoozeControl wrote: I watched a vid about this, and the groups screaming "abuse!" were concerned about the elephant being forced to stand on cement for hours at a time, and being denied other elephant companionship since they're herd animals. Good points.


then i wonder why the emphasis on the painting in the article? it just makes PETA seem petty.

My first concern was also the elephant being made to stand for so long.

The paint job is beautiful but I think the article did say that painting elephants is not at all uncommon in their country.

SnoozeControl wrote: I watched a vid about this, and the groups screaming "abuse!" were concerned about the elephant being forced to stand on cement for hours at a time, and being denied other elephant companionship since they're herd animals. Good points.


Yes, that too, Snooze.

By the way, those heart characters in your sig, I've seen them various places, but what are they called?? They seem to be very popular.

Lulu2 wrote: Red, when you go to India, you'll see that painting elephants in beautiful colors and designs is an ancient tradition there. The paint is non-toxic, (it's like chalk mixed with water) and the elephants are washed lovingly in the rivers by the mahouts, who treat their animals like family. (They have to...or the elephants'd toss 'em off and STOMP 'em.)



I saw the flapdoodle about this exhibit and thought it was an interesting way to illustrate the artist's point.



Inhumane? I'll have to step away from the PETA folks on that one....I'd be more concerned with the length of time she's standing in that room than a little paint.


Lulu, I respect your experience with other countries and as you know, really enjoy hearing your tales of them but I do have a prob with some mahouts. I think of the ones I saw on TV who were making the eles paint pictures for tourists, whcih is fine, but one elephant did not want to do it for some reason and her mahout proceeded to hurt her. I can't remember now if it was a bullhook or if he was hitting her but the elephant was crying. Maybe the Indian mahouts are kinder but I still say put a costume on the elephant and put paint on buildings.

Before she died of old age, one of our elephants was a marvelous artist! People who made large donations were given the opportunity to watch Gita do a painting. The way it was done was fun...they'd put different colors of paint and a brush on paper plates and Gita would decide which to use and how much of that color she wanted.

It was fun to see her looking intently at the brush as she applied the paint...sometimes, she'd paint the keepers holding the canvas!

She would lie down and patiently let children hose her off and brush her feet.

It was such a privilege to know her.

Now--back to the "herd" concept. Yes, to some degree, elephants will live in matriarchal herds. But they don't all like one another and some elephants choose to live alone. I don't know the situation this elephant was living in, but it may not have been in the least bit "lonely" for her to spend a few days in the artist's exhibit.

We all have to struggle with the very human trait of putting our emotions into animals' heads and lives. Sometimes, the very thing we think is true-- isn't.