Backlash Erupts After Elderly Elephant Used For Viral Pink Photoshoot Prop Dies | The Animal Rescue Site
Matthew Russell
A bright pink elephant in Jaipur has become the face of a much larger fight over animal exploitation in India. The animal, a female elephant named Chanchal, appeared in a stylized photoshoot by Russian photographer Julia Buruleva that was filmed in November 2025 and later went viral, showing a model seated atop the painted elephant near Jaipur’s historic landscape, as The Independent reports.
Instagram/julia.buruleva
A viral photoshoot turned an elderly elephant into the center of an international backlash.
The outrage deepened when it became public that Chanchal had died in February 2026. Handlers and local officials said the elephant was about 65 to 70 years old and died of age-related illness, not because of the shoot. The Indian Express reported that her mahout said a post-mortem pointed to heart trouble, while NDTV said there is no confirmed evidence linking her death to the paint used in the session. Claims of safe paint do not calm ethical concerns.
Buruleva and people involved in the shoot have said the elephant was covered with organic gulaal, the same kind of powder used during festivals, and that it was washed off quickly. That defense has done little to quiet the backlash. For many critics, the issue is not only what substance touched Chanchal’s skin, but why an elderly captive elephant was turned into a visual device at all, according to India Today.
Instagram/julia.buruleva
The elephant, Chanchal, was painted bright pink in Jaipur.
Investigation widens into captive elephant welfare
The controversy has now moved beyond social media. World Animal Protection reports that Rajasthan authorities opened an investigation into whether proper permissions were obtained and whether welfare rules were followed. The group argued that the case reflects broader failures in how captive elephants are used in tourism and entertainment, a concern echoed in reporting by The Times of India, which noted growing calls for tougher scrutiny of elephant exploitation around Jaipur.
Instagram/julia.buruleva
The images resurfaced months after the shoot and triggered outrage.
Photographer says backlash turned into threats
As the anger spread, Buruleva said the fallout became personal. NDTV reported that she said she had received death threats and accused critics of spreading false claims about Chanchal’s death. But the public fury has not eased.
Even without proof that the shoot killed the elephant, the images of Chanchal painted pink have come to symbolize a deeper unease about what people are willing to do to animals for attention, aesthetics, and profit.
Read more articles by Matthew Russell.