PetaDishoom sponsors Rahul Khanna-autographed book giveaway 
By IndiaFM News Bureau, August 21, 2006 - 03:28 IST
Actor Rahul Khanna has already grabbed attention with the shoot of his compelling ad decrying the chaining and confinement of elephants in zoos, due to be released in the coming months. However, he wanted to do something more to raise awareness about the plight of jailed elephants. So Rahul has teamed up with his pals at petaDishoom – PETA India's fast-growing youth-program for a giveaway of the book Elephants – A Portrait of the Animal World at petaDishoom.com autographed by Rahul, himself. All that visitors on the site have to do is register before September 15, to win.
Known for films like 1947 Earth and Bollywood Hollywood, he spoke about the issue.
"Elephants remind me of humans in the way they nurture each other's children and mourn for their dead. These sensitive creatures should not be chained away from natural habitat and fellow species." Rahul also had some poignant advice for India's youth: "Don't wear blinders", he says. "Acknowledge animal abuse and spread the word in order to cause change."
Elephants in Indian zoos live in appalling conditions. Some are chained year-round, and many suffer from malnutrition. Kept in tiny, barren enclosures that could never simulate their natural habitat, elephants in zoos frequently suffer from zoochosis, a form of mental anguish caused by the impoverished environment. In captivity, elephants often die before age 40 from foot disorders and arthritis. In the wild, elephants can live to be 70. PETA advocates that zoos must begin phasing out their elephant exhibits by ending any future attempts to breed them or capture more elephants from the wild.
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Rahul Khanna makes a trunk call for PETA
