"Thailand Repatriates Neglected Elephant from Sri Lanka Amid Abuse Allegations"

A Thai elephant named Muthu Raja, who spent 22 years in Sri Lanka, has been returned to Thailand amid allegations of mistreatment and abuse. The elephant was rescued from a Buddhist temple in Sri Lanka and taken to a zoo in the capital, where it was found to be in pain and covered in abscesses. Animal rights groups claim that Muthu Raja was forced to work with a logging crew and suffered wounds inflicted by its handler. The elephant will undergo hydrotherapy in Thailand for further treatment. The incident has strained ties between Thailand and Sri Lanka, with the Sri Lankan Prime Minister apologizing to the Thai king. Thailand has halted the practice of sending elephants abroad and is assessing the conditions of those already overseas.