Asia’s First Empathy-Building Animatronic Elephant, Ellie, Voiced by Actor Dia Mirza, Visits Hyderabad School Courtesy of PETA India

Students at Glendale Academy were treated to a special visit on Tuesday from a stunningly realistic life-size mechanical elephant named Ellie – voiced by actor Dia Mirza – as PETA India launched an empathy-building tour of schools in Hyderabad. Ellie will interact with thousands of local students, blinking her eyes and flapping her ears just like a real elephant, as she tells children an age-appropriate story about the trauma of being separated from her mother as a baby, the abuse she endured in a circus, and finally, her happy life at a sanctuary after her rescue.

The children were excited to meet and learn from mechanical elephant Ellie, who is a novel educational tool that helps youngsters develop kindness and concern for animals. Thanks to Ellie, the students now appreciate real elephants’ need to live free in their jungle homes – not in confinement, being chained and beaten – for their well-being. – Glendale Group of Schools Director Ms Minu Salooja

Since May 2023, Ellie has reached over 1,13,000 young learners at various private, public, international, and government schools across India, sharing the message that elephants should not be used in circuses or for rides or other cruel events. She’ll now be visiting thousands of students in Hyderabad at the Glendale Group of Schools, St Michael’s School (Old Alwal), St Andrews School (Keesara), Meridian School (Banjara Hills), Gitanjali Devakul (Kukatpally), Meru International School (Miyapur), Talla Padmavathi International School (Warangal), Suchitra Academy International School (Suchitra junction), and Little Millennium preschools.

PETA India also runs a free humane education programme, Compassionate Citizen, designed to help students aged 8 to 12 better understand and appreciate animals. It has been used by over 2 lakh schools and reached approximately 9.3 crore children across India.

Ellie will be in Hyderabad from 20 August to 2 September. Educators who would like Ellie to visit their schools can write to Meenakshi Narang at [email protected].