Tikiri the emaciated elephant dies in Sri Lanka

Costume: Travellers were shocked to discover the malnourished elephant under a festive disguise. Photo / Supplied

The emaciated 70-year-old elephant known as Tikiri, whose photos shocked the internet has died in Sri Lanka, an animal rights charity has reported.

One of 60 elephants involved in the festival of Perahera in Kandy, the shocking state of the elephant was first exposed by the charity Save the Elephant Foundation (SEF).

SEF revealed the elephant's malnourished state with an elaborate costume, covering her.

Following reports in August the tourism minister of Sri Lanka reported that the animal would be retired from service.

However on Tuesday this week SEF founder Lek Chailert broke the news that the elephant had passed away.

"Tikiri's suffering has ended, her soul is now free. No more harm can come to her," was the caption of Chailert's Instagram post.

"RIP dear Tikiri. Never look back to this world so cruel toward you and your friends."

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The sad news is just out tonight that Tikiri passed away this evening. There is both sorrow and relief here. To think of her brings such pain to my heart. That hard service was her life, and not freedom, carries for me a commitment to others who yet suffer. That we could not help her before her eyes would shut forever fosters a renewed courage, and bears a responsibility for us to find safe refuges for all of the captive Giants born under the yoke of Man. What we wished for Tikiri, even a few days of freedom with love and care, we will demand for others. The day that I met Tikiri, her eyes locked with mine, telling me all that I needed to know. Her own fear and anger and sorrow is now part of that longer memory of her kind which should bear us no affection. Tikiri's suffering has ended, her soul is now free. No more harm can come to her. RIP dear Tikiri. Never look back to this world so cruel toward you and your friends. หลังจากที่ล้มครั้งแล้วครั้งเล่า มาตอนเย็นนี้ทิคคิรีก็ได้จากโลกนี้ไปอย่างทุกข์ทรมาน เธอไม่มีโอกาสที่จะได้เห็นอิสรภาพก่อนเธอตาย เธอไม่เคยได้สัมผัสความรักจากมนุษย์ก่อนที่ดวงตาคู่นั้นของเธอจะปิดสนิท วันที่ดิฉันได้พบกับทิคคิรีที่ศรีลังกา และตัดสินใจนำเรื่องของเธอสู่สายตาชาวโลก ดวงตาคู่นั้นของเธอมันบอกทุกอย่างในความรู้สึกที่เธอมี ดิฉันรู้สึกสัมผัสถึงความกลัว โกรธ ความเจ็บปวด และความหมดหวังของเธอ หลับให้สบายนะทิคคิรีวันนี้เป็นอิสระแล้ว ไม่ต้องเป็นทาสใครอีกต่อไป มองไปข้างหน้าอย่าหันหลังกลับมามอง โลกนี้ที่มีแต่การทารุนกรรม เกิดมาอีกทีอย่าเกิดมาเป็นช้างให้คนทารุนกรรมอีก #saveelephantfoundation #bekindtoanimals #bekindtoelephants #elephant

A post shared by Lek Chailert (@lek_chailert) on Sep 24, 2019 at 9:46am PDT

Cheailert's work and her foundation helped show how the festival was hiding the animal's poor condition from festival crowds behind a full length costume.

However at the time the Buddhist Temple of the Sacred Tooth, which manages the festival and parades told media that the elephant's thin appearance was due to a "digestive ailment" and Tikiri was perfectly well enough to appear in the festival.

PETA said earlier this year that elephants were suffering across Sri Lanka and elsewhere "in service to an exploitative and abusive tourism industry."

The international organisation urged visitors to Sri Lanka to avoid any attraction that endorses elephant rides or festivals where the animals are paraded.