Actress Richa Chadha, who has become the face and voice of the “Save the Elephants” campaign by international animal rights organisation People for Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), has sent a letter to Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik seeking his support for the campaign.
Richa would take up the cause just not to get the Government involved in it but also to inform people about the rising accidents resulting in elephants’ death and how they could be curbed, a PETA statement said.
The concern is largely about elephants who become victims of train accidents that occur on the tracks passing through heavily-forested areas.
Richa said, “It is almost shocking how even in 2018 this still happens where an elephant gets hit by a train and either loses its life or by some off chance it survives, help doesn’t manage to reach on time. So, when PETA asked me to become the face and appeal to the Chief Minister, I was more than happy to write that letter.”
“We need to teach our train drivers about elephant crossings. The forest guard should put more signs from the earlier stations to inform the train drivers about elephant-crossing areas and heavily-forested areas. little things will change the fatalities. I hope these changes help the larger cause because elephants are the best and don’t deserve something so tragic happening to them,” she said.