Paris Hilton speaks out for elephants of North East India

[Guest guest]

*http://www.hindu.com/2007/11/14/stories/2007111454692200.htm*

*Paris Hilton seeks to save drinking Indian elephants *

 

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GUWAHATI: Conservationists on Tuesday hailed socialite Paris Hilton, who has

been convicted of driving under the influence of alcohol, for trying to

highlight the cause of binge-drinking elephants in the northeast.

 

Activists said a celebrity endorsement was sure to raise awareness of the

plight of the pachyderms that get drunk on farmers' homemade rice beer then

go on a rampage. Last month, six wild elephants that broke into a farm in

Meghalaya were electrocuted after discovering and drinking the potent brew

then uprooting an electricity pole.

 

" There would have been more casualties if the villagers hadn't chased them

away. And four elephants died in a similar way three years ago. It is just

so sad, " Ms. Hilton was quoted as saying in Tokyo.

 

" The elephants get drunk all the time. It is becoming really dangerous. We

need to stop making alcohol available to them, " she said in a report posted

on the World Entertainment News Network website. Her comments were picked up

by websites and newspapers around the globe.

 

" I am indeed happy Hilton has taken note of recent incidents of wild

elephants in northeast India going berserk after drinking homemade rice beer

and getting killed, " Sangeeta Goswami, who heads animal rights group People

for Animals, said.

 

" As part of her global elephant campaign, Hilton should, in fact, think of

visiting this region literally infested with elephants. "

The real problem

 

While welcoming Ms. Hilton's interest, another conservationist said

elephant alcohol abuse was just a symptom of the real problem. " Elephants

appear on human settlements... because they have no habitat left due to

wanton destruction of forests, " said Soumyadeep Dutta of Nature's Beckon, a

conservation group. " A celebrity like Hilton must focus her attention on

this fact. "

 

Ms. Hilton promised to improve her bad-girl image when she completed a

three-week jail term in June for violating probation in an alcohol-related

reckless driving case. She had announced plans to do charity work in Rwanda

for the Playing for Good Foundation, but the trip was postponed until next

year. — AP