Hannah has called the demonstration “Trapped”.
According to Hannah, Lasah is 37 years old, and is forced to give rides all day wearing a heavy saddle. When he is not making money for his owners, Hannah said the elephant was chained every evening and every night, and left to wade in his own excrement.
“He lives alone with no other elephants, and has open wounds. Elephants are extremely intelligent and his suffering must end,” she said.
Hannah, along with Malaysian NGO FOTO (Friends of the Orangutan), have been trying to get Lasah moved to the Kuala Gandah elephant sanctuary.
“I am hoping the Malaysian wildlife department (Perhilitan) head Abdul Kadir Abu Hashim, and the Natural Resources and Environment Minister Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar will watch my video.
“I wanted to do this not just for Lasah, but for all the animals trapped in the tourist industry, as well as the millions of animals trapped and used in the farming, fur and beauty industries.
She said she was not asking for donations, just awareness and signatures so Lasah the elephant could be saved.
Recounting her experience Hannah said, “It was so dark in the cave I couldn’t see clearly what was beside or above me as my torches were not powerful enough and my camera flash only fired for a split second.
“It wasn’t until I got home and digitally lightened the photos that I realised how amazingly high the cave was.
“I wouldn’t advise ever lighting a fire in a cave, but if you have to, then light it at the cave entrance, never inside. Would I sleep inside the cave again? I would visit for an afternoon, but as for sleeping in there alone? No, I won’t be doing that again.”
MacKinnon’s Cave, on the island of Mull, in Scotland, UK, is the longest sea cave in all the Hebrides, twisting 152.4 metres long and 27.43 metres high at the cave entrance.
The cave gets completely cut off by the tide and is only accessible below half tide via a difficult scramble across the shore of boulders. Low tide is roughly every 12 hours and great care is needed to ensure you can visit the cave – and return in one piece.
The cave is number 11, on CalMac’s list of most haunting locations on Scotland’s west coast.
There is a ghostly tale of the piper who tried to outdo the fairies in a piping competition and walked into the cave along with his dog. Only the dog returned, crazed with fear and hairless. Some say the piper went right through the hill and emerged on the other side of the headland at Tiroran on Loch Scridain.
Hannah said readers who would like to help Lasah, could send emails asking for him to be freed to the addresses at this link:
http://www.fotomalaysia.org/?p=1893
Please include your country of residence.
If you would also like to sign the petition go to: www.tinyurl.com/freelasah
To keep updated on Lasah, please follow:
https://www.instagram.com/photos_to_free_lasah/
and https://twitter.com/photosforlasah
To see Hannah’s photos go to: www.facebook.com/hannahmorrisphotography