A live elephant in Malaysia whose turmeric powder has been covered with great interest online has aroused curiosity and ridicule about the use of spice commonly used for spicing chicken rather than elephants.
The pictures taken at the National Zoo in Malaysia yesterday showed the elephant lying on its side as well as standing while a team of animal guards rubbed its skin with turmeric substitutes, turning the huge animal into a vibrant yellow.
The images, published by Adabi Consumer, the producer of spices on Twitter and Facebook, recorded more than 17,000 likes and thousands of entries.
"The benefits of turmeric powder include the treatment of small wounds and fire ants, as well as an antiseptic and an elephant skin treatment," the company wrote in a tweet.
About 7 kg of turmeric was used to massage the entire mammoth animal before it was left to prove.
Turmeric, which contains a component called curcumin, is used in countries around the world to help treat infections and skin diseases.
A study conducted by the US National Center for Biotechnology Information showed that it was able to stimulate wound healing in rats and guinea pigs.
The reactions to the images differed from the agreement on the healing properties of the spice to the irony, especially as turmeric is commonly used to season the dishes that are processed by the heavy frying in the country.
"Make sure the elephant is crispy before putting it on the kitchen towel," said a Twitter user, Zulekha Hadi.
"The fried elephant has been prepared," said another user, Nazmi Nzad.