Colombo, Jan 8 : American pop star Cher has slammed Sri Lanka’s National Zoological Garden chief Shermila Rajapaksha for manhandling and exploitation of baby elephants.

The Director General of Department of National Zoological Gardens has been accused of alleged exploitation of a pair of new born twin elephants, who were yet to be named.

The ‘Rally for Animal Rights and Environment’ (RARE) movement had shared a video on its Twitter handle showing the calves and their mother in Pinnawala being allegedly forced to bathe for media publicity.

According to The Daily Mirror, the RARE in its Twitter message alleged Rajapaksha held a media fiasco with the captive-born elephants at the Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage.

RARE claimed the video shared by them showed the elephant mother and nanny being dragged by the ear and forced into the water for her to go live on camera.

The video has created an uproar on Twitter.

Following this, Cher attacked Rajapaksha stating she did not care about animals as she is a bureaucrat.

“She is only interested in making money for the zoo, which will exploit them until their premature deaths.

“Elephants will make the zoo a fortune and then the elephants, the mother nanny will be heartbroken and traumatized forever.

“Ask the zoo if mom and twins will live together,” Cher said in her tweet.

“Does this look right, human to anyone? These babies are terrified, they want their mother. Why do people sell their soul for money?

“Elephants have delicate feet, they have died in zoos. I’m just trying to warn you. You can see the confusion and cruelty for yourself,” Cher said sharing the link to the RARE video.

“This is a f* crime. Elephants are like humans. They need family forever. Will there be mahouts/handlers.

“If so some journalists, citizens must make sure elephants are not made docile by fear of the bullhook.

“Elephants walk 15 plus miles a day with their family. How many miles a day in the zoo?” she raised concerns and questions.

The twin elephant births were the first recorded in Sri Lanka’s history at the Pinnawala Elephant orphanage and are now about four months old. They will be named on January 11.(UNI)