A religious ceremony was held today (Friday) at Dehiwala Zoo in Colombo, Sri Lanka, to bless the ailing Thai elephant, Sak Surin, for its safe return to Thailand.

The ceremony was attended by Poj Harnpol, Thai ambassador to Sri Lanka, Thai embassy officials, six monks from Kande Vihara Temple and Sri Lankans.

The ambassador said that many Sri Lankans are familiar with Sak Surin and they were saddened to learn about the elephant’s poor health.

Sak Surin had sheltered at the Kande Vihara Temple for many years until, recently, it was moved to the zoo for treatment and rehabilitation. It is scheduled to be flown back to Thailand on July 2^nd on a chartered military transport aircraft.