Starving the Elephants

I came across this haunting story on the podcast AspirinFM.

During WWII, at Ueno Zoo in Tokyo, the authorities decided to slaughter the animals in case they escaped during bombings. Most animals were killed quickly, but the elephants proved to be a heartbreaking exception. 🪖

Their skin was too thick to shoot through, and they were clever enough to avoid poisoned food. In the end, the zookeepers made the grim decision to starve them to death.

Afterward, the government even held a grand memorial, claiming the elephants were martyrs of war — sacrificed for the nation. 🇯🇵🕊️

For more details, you can read this article that documents the story. 📖