Musicians' song dedicated to lonely, ailing elephant's transfer to a sanctuary becomes PETA public service announcement.

The call to give Mali, the solitary and suffering elephant at the Manila Zoo, some harmony in her life has just increased a few decibels. That’s because the Manila Symphony Orchestra has just endorsed People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) Asia’s effort to transfer Mali from her pitiful enclosure at the zoo to a lush sanctuary where she can finally be treated for potentially fatal foot ailments and enjoy the vital company of other elephants. To top things off, the musicians have dedicated a classical music piece to Mali titled “The Elephant,” and PETA will use the video as a brand-new public service announcement.

“The call for Mali’s transfer grows louder by the minute—only the Manila Zoo and city officials are standing in the way,” says PETA Asia campaign coordinator Rochelle Regodon. “We welcome the support of one of the oldest symphony orchestras in Asia, and we call on officials to take notice and transfer Mali now.”

Even if the elephant exhibit at the Manila Zoo were to be doubled or tripled in size, it would still not be adequate to house one elephant, never mind additional ones. While zoos around the world routinely spend upwards of 2 billion pesos on attempts at more appropriately sized elephant exhibits, more and more zoos have recognized that the needs of these complex and intelligent animals cannot be met in captivity. The Detroit Zoo, the ZSL London Zoo, the Greater Vancouver Zoo, and the San Francisco Zoo are just a few of the zoos around the world that are closing their elephant exhibits and transferring the elephants to sanctuaries.

Mali has received essentially no veterinary care for more than 36 years, leaving her to endure constant pain from debilitating foot problems. Also, elephants are highly social animals who naturally live in herds and suffer greatly in the absence of other elephants. Mali is all alone, making her transfer even more urgent.

For more information, please visit PETAAsiaPacific.com.