Pink Elephant Controversy: Photographer Julia Buruleva Breaks Silence On Backlash After Elephant's Death

Photographer Julia Buruleva has defended herself in pink elephant controversy after death of a 65-year-old elephant named Chanchal. While officials say the elephant died of natural causes, many online users blamed photo shoot. Buruleva denied claims.

Image Credit : instagram/Julia Buruleva (@julia.buruleva)

Photographer responds to ‘pink elephant’ controversy

Russian photographer Julia Buruleva has finally spoken out on the ongoing “pink elephant” controversy. The issue began after images of an elephant painted pink during a photo shoot went viral online.

Buruleva has now defended her actions, denied wrongdoing, and asked people to support her through a public campaign.

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Elephant’s death fuels outrage

The controversy became more serious after the elephant, named Chanchal, died at around 65 years of age in February, a few weeks after the shoot in November 2025.

While officials and the elephant’s owner, Sadiq Khan, have said that the animal died due to natural causes, many people online linked the death to the photo shoot.

This led to strong criticism and accusations of animal cruelty against Buruleva and others involved.

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Artist denies claims, blames misinformation

In a recent Instagram post, Buruleva rejected the allegations. She said the elephant’s death had no connection to the shoot.

She also criticised the media, saying false claims were being spread for attention.

“Shame on the media spreading false claims,” she wrote, adding that there is evidence the elephant died months later due to old age.

Buruleva also revealed that she has received hate messages and even death threats over the issue.

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A post shared by Julia Buruleva (@julia.buruleva)

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Support campaign launched

In response to the backlash, the photographer has launched a support petition. She urged people to share her post using the hashtag 'supportArtistJuliaBuruleva'.

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A post shared by Julia Buruleva (@julia.buruleva)

She said the campaign is meant to show that not everyone agrees with the criticism against her. In one of her latest posts on Instagram, she goes on to defend her move to paint the animal saying, "Painting on live elephants is a cultural tradition in Rajasthan. It’s practiced at the Jaipur Elephant Festival, as well as on other occasions."

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A post shared by Julia Buruleva (@julia.buruleva)

Mixed reactions on social media

The issue has led to a strong debate online. Many users have criticised the use of animals in such photo shoots.

Some comments called it animal cruelty and said no reason can justify harming animals. Others urged people to show kindness and protect animals from such activities.

There were also voices pointing out that animal use happens in many areas, such as transport and daily life, and questioned why only this case is getting attention.

Some users said that even if there are bigger issues, this should not be ignored.

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Debate over animal welfare continues

The incident has once again raised questions about how animals are treated in events, art, and entertainment.

While some people support tradition or creative work, others believe animals should not be used in such ways at all.

The debate is still ongoing, with strong opinions on both sides. Authorities have not reported any legal action so far, but the controversy continues to grow online.