Mechanical Elephant 'Ellie' Teaches Empathy To Students In Delhi School

According to a PETA statement, Raghubir Singh Junior Modern School has introduced Ellie, a lifelike mechanical elephant with a voiceover by actress Dia Mirza.

This initiative was undertaken in a bid to instill empathy in students. Animal rights organization PETA initiated a school tour in Delhi-NCR featuring Ellie, the life-sized mechanical elephant.

Nalini Singh Rajput, the school's principal, emphasized to the students, "Elephants are deeply intelligent, social and emotional beings who belong in nature, not in confinement where they are chained and beaten. We are delighted to have Ellie in our school to sensitise our students about developing empathy for animals and other living beings."

Ellie captivates children with her realistic gestures, like blinking and flapping her ears, as she shares a story suitable for their age. The tale follows her early days, including being separated from her mother as a baby, enduring mistreatment in a circus, and finding happiness at a sanctuary after being rescued, a PTI report said.

PETA India's Senior Education Coordinator, Meenakshi Narang, told PTI, "Ellie's story provides an invaluable lesson in empathy by teaching children that, just like us, elephants are intelligent animals who have feelings and personalities."

The initiative seeks to increase students' understanding of and empathy for the emotions and welfare of animals.