Ailing Thai elephant to be flown home after alleged neglect at Sri Lankan temple

A 4,000kg (8,800lbs) elephant named Muthu Raja will be flown back home to Thailand to recover from injuries blamed on neglect while it was being kept at a Buddhist temple in Sri Lanka. The 29-year-old Thai elephant had leg abscesses that left it struggling to walk. Also known as Sak Surin in Thailand, the animal is expected to arrive in Chiang Mai on July 1, 2023.