Indian forest officials have launched an investigation after social media outrage over a Russian photographer’s photo of a 65-year-old elephant painted bright pink.
Animal rights activists accused Julia Buruleva, a photographer from Barcelona, of animal cruelty for painting a tusker pink for a photo shoot in the city of Jaipur in the western state of Rajasthan.
The pictures show a woman, in pink, sitting on a painted elephant in an abandoned Hindu temple. The pictures were posted on her Instagram page in December last year, but sparked outrage this month after going viral on social media.
And Buruleva said Independent that this painting took place in November 2025 during his six-week art tour and that the project was intended to reflect existing realities rather than to justify, encourage or criticize trends.
Mrs. Buruleva said “no harm was caused to the elephant at any time” during the shoot, adding that the paint was non-toxic and natural. He said: “It was used in a very short time and it was easy to wash.
The photographer said the elephant showed no signs of distress and appeared “calm, relaxed and responsive”.
One of the most popular comments on her Instagram post read: “This is not art, this is animal abuse, so it should not be glorified.” One user wrote: “Creative freedom is not free flow for irresponsible expression”.
“Would they allow you to do this in your country?” read the description.
Responding later, Mrs. Buruleva said: “In Jaipur, elephants seem to exist in the cultural space – in ceremonies, decorations and everyday life.
I understand that this issue affects a lot of people. At the same time, I believe it is important to distinguish between situations in which animals are truly injured and those in which it may not fully reflect the real situation.”
The owner of the elephant, Shadik Khan, said that the horn called Chanchal was 65 years old at the time of the shooting and was no longer used for riding. Mr Khan added that Chanchal had died in February.
Ms. Buruleva said that she was informed about the death of the elephant and its owner told Chanchal that he died of old age.
He said New Indian Express that “kaccha gulal” was used to paint the elephant for a 10-minute shoot, which was washed off immediately afterwards, meaning the Hindi word for powder paint made from natural materials that washes off easily without leaving any stains.
Forest department officials said they have taken cognizance of the incident and have started an investigation. Officials will check whether permits were obtained and whether animal welfare practices were followed, according to the report.
Animal rights groups have called on the government to impose stricter laws. “This incident highlights the rampant exploitation of captive elephants in Jaipur to satisfy the whims and fancies of tourists,” said Gajender Kumar Sharma, National Director of Wildlife Conservation India.
“We request the Indian authorities to strictly control the contact of captive elephants with all tourists, including foreign tourists, in Jaipur and the rest of India.”
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