Neglected Thai Elephant flown home from Sri Lanka

An elephant gifted to Sri Lanka has been flown back to Thailand on Sunday following a diplomatic spat over the animal's alleged mistreatment.

29-year-old Muthu Raja - also known in its birthplace as Sak Surin - was moved from its temporary home at a zoo in Sri Lanka's capital Colombo before dawn accompanied by four Thai handlers and a Sri Lankan keeper.

The 4,000kg animal arrived in Chiang Mai inside a special steel cage, on board a chartered cargo plane.