Viral 'Pink Elephant' died - Jaipur
Jaipur | Desk: Amidst the controversy that captured a 70-year-old elephant painted pink during a photoshoot in Jaipur, it reportedly died a month ago.
However, the pachyderm owner confirmed that the death of the septuagenarian has no link with the photoshoot.
Recently, a month-old photoshoot featuring a bright-pink elephant on the streets of Jaipur with model Yashaswi went viral. The photos were captured by a Russian photographer, Julia Buruleva.
After the picture went viral, some users praised while others backlashed, questioning the ethics of using animals artistically.
The elephant seen in the video was a female named Chanchal, who belonged to the Hathi Gaon (Elephant Village) area. Ballu Khan, president of the Hathi Gaon committee, stated that the elephant was coloured using gulal - a powder commonly used during the festival of Holi, and that the paint was washed off within 30 minutes.
According to the officials, the photoshoot was done in the month of November 2025, while the picture was published on a social media handle in the month of December 2025.
According to the artist's post, Buruleva revealed that she spent six weeks in Jaipur, where the city's iconic pink hue inspired her vision. She also highlighted that elephants are a prominent symbol in Rajasthan's culture, architecture, and decor.
"Elephants are everywhere there - streets, ornaments, architecture. Practically, the main symbol of Rajasthan. I just couldn't pass by without including one," she wrote on Instagram. Buruleva and the elephant's owner maintained that organic, locally made gulal was applied for approximately 10 minutes and washed off immediately after.
Despite these clarifications, the viral nature of the video has reignited concerns about the use of animals for entertainment and artistic purposes.
Following the social media outcry, Rajasthan forest department officials have announced that the matter will be investigated to determine if any wildlife protection laws were violated. Besides, the department has also assured that if any law is found to be violated or neglected, appropriate actions will be taken.
