An elephant with the name of Elly who travelled from Cambodia to stand watch outside Gastronomics in Thames has been brazenly destroyed by three offenders.
The restaurant’s owner Kishan Raikwar said that overnight on January 17, he was alerted that three vandals who had “come from the other side of town” had pushed over his $5000 feature piece.
“She didn’t survive,” he said.
Local police officers informed him that all three offenders had been caught.
Elly was purchased in April, 2023, and Kishan said there had been no issues with vandalism since that time. In the last few months, locals, out-of-towners, and overseas visitors had all stopped to take photos with Elly, he said.
“As a business, we don’t need this. We put some effort into the main street, and whatever the reason those [vandals] have is not good enough,” Kishan said. “Someone has to step up and say that if you do this, then you have to be punished.”
It’s going to cost Kishan $5000 to get a replacement Elly sent from Cambodia, and he said generous locals have already offered to help foot the bill.
