To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video

A ‘skeletal’ baby elephant who was forced to ‘rave’ for tourists in Thailand has died.

The three-year-old, who spent his entire life at the infamous Phuket Zoo, was named ‘Dumbo’ by animal rights campaigners who filmed him being forced to dance and do tricks.

Vets said he died from an untreated infection in his digestive tract, which caused him to have ‘constant diarrhoea’.

It meant that his body was not absorbing nutrients as it should, making his bones brittle.


He became so malnourished that both of his back legs snapped under the weight of his own body.

Dumbo, three, has died after becoming so malnourished both his legs snapped (Picture: Moving Animals)

The ‘skeletal’ elephant was being kept in Thailan’ds notorius Phuket zoo (Picture: Moving Animals)

It took keepers three days to realise his legs were broken before they took him for treatment on April 17.



He died three days later.

One of the vets who treated him said the debilitating injuries happened due to a ‘horrible accident.’

She said: ‘It was the worst. His front legs became stuck in some mud while he was holding himself up with his back legs on dry ground.

‘First, he tried to lift himself out with his back right leg, but the bone was too thin and too brittle, and the stress on it caused it to break.

He was forced to dance for paying tourists (Picture: Moving Animals)

The zoo have broken no laws (Picture: Moving Animals)

‘So he tried to push himself out of the mud with his back left leg, and that broke, too.’

Moving Animals, the campaign group who filmed the footage, said: ‘This is a tragic and horrific end to Dumbo’s heartbreakingly-short life.

‘His skeletal body clearly suggested that he was unwell and could be suffering from undernourishment and exhaustion.

‘I can’t bring myself to imagine Dumbo’s suffering during this time.

‘For Dumbo to die whilst under the so-called “care” and “treatment” of the zoo shows just how neglected these animals are in captivity.’

They will be able to ‘aquire’ a new baby if they choose to do so (Picture: Moving Animals)

As Phuket Zoo have not broken any laws, Phuket department officials have claimed that the zoo are free to ‘acquire’ another baby if they choose to do so.

The Zoo’s Manager Mr Pichai, was reported to be ‘deeply saddened by Dumbo’s passing’.

He added: ‘This elephant baby was worth more than 1 million baht (£24,670)

‘Nobody wants to lose something they love. We did the best we could do to protect him.’

Got a story for Metro.co.uk? Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk. For more stories like this, check our news page.