Petition launched to save elephant trapped in 'concrete prison' for 66 years

A petition has been launched to rescue an elephant from its lonely concrete enclosure at a zoo in Japan.

Hanako has turned 68, and has spent 66 years of her life on her own in the dismal enclosure at the Inokashira Park Zoo in Tokyo, Japan.

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She was taken from Thailand and transported to the zoo when she was two, and the petition now calls for her to be moved to spend the rest of her life in a sanctuary with other elephants.

Hanako currently has no stimulation, greenery or company.

The petition details how blogger Ulara Nakagawa described it as "one of the cruellest, most archaic zoos in the modern world".

It reads: "She just stands there, appearing almost lifeless, since there is nothing else for her to do. It was beyond painful for Ulara to take in Hanako's pitiful situation."

Speaking to the MailOnline, Elisa Allen, associate director at PETA, said: "In nature, female elephants spend their lives with other members of their herd, but at Japan's Ueno Zoo, Hanako is kept in solitary confinement in a small barren concrete dungeon.

"She is denied the opportunity to feel grass beneath her feet, the company of other elephants and even the chance to see anything but a grey wall.

"Hanako has already been imprisoned for six long decades. Japanese authorities must get with the times and shut down this elephant exhibit immediately and send Hanako to a reputable sanctuary where she can live out her remaining years in the company of other elephants."

The petition adds: "We have a chance to make up for lost time and make sure Hanako lives out her last days in the comfort she deserves.

"Please sign and share this petition demanding that Hanako be sent to an elephant sanctuary.

"If this is not possible, she needs to be given medical assistance and a new, enriched enclosure where she can interact with other elephants. She should not be forced to live in a concrete prison."

You can sign and share the petition here.