Nadine Lustre, BF dismayed by display of elephant Mali’s preserved body
Animal advocates Nadine Lustre and her boyfriend Christophe Bariou expressed their disapproval of putting on public display the preserved body of elephant Mali at Manila Zoo, saying the animal’s legacy “deserves respect, not display.”
The couple spoke up on the matter through their respective Instagram pages on Saturday, Dec. 21. The actress shared a report about Mali’s body being brought to the zoo after it underwent taxidermy.
“Mali’s legacy deserves respect, not display. Let her rest in peace!” Lustre wrote.
Lustre also re-posted Bariou’s statement which showed similar sentiments of those who disapprove as well the exhibit of the body of Mali, also known as Vishwamali.
“Even after death, you choose not to show the minimal decency that Mali deserves, despite her lifetime of suffering,” the Filipino-French businessman said. “Shame on you.”
Article continues after this advertisementMali, the country’s lone elephant that was acquired by Manila Zoo for over four decades, was brought to the Philippines from Sri Lanka in 1977 as a gift to then-First Lady Imelda Marcos.
Article continues after this advertisementThe elephant died in November 2023.
The zoo’s chief veterinarian said that Mali’s death may have been due to heart failure, also disclosing that the latter had cancer and was suffering from damage to her kidneys, liver and pancreas.
Mali was dubbed as the “world’s saddest elephant.