India, April 3 -- R ussian artist Julia Buruleva, who faced backlash for painting an elephant pink for a photoshoot, has now started a support petition, not for the animal, but for herself. Buruleva had come under fire after Chanchal, a 65-year-old elephant, was painted pink using gulaal for her photoshoot in November 2025. The elephant died a few weeks later in February, news agency PTI confirmed. While the elephant's owner, Sadiq Khan, claimed there was no link between its death and the photoshoot, visuals of the painted elephant had already triggered widespread outrage over alleged animal cruelty. As the images circulated online, Buruleva and others involved in the shoot became targets of intense backlash. The criticism only grew after news of the elephant's death emerged, even as questions around the cause continued to remain contested. In recent days, Buruleva's Instagram posts have been flooded with critical comments, with many directly blaming her for the elephant's death. Responding to the backlash, Buruleva shared a post late last night defending herself. She said the elephant had died of old age and accused the media of amplifying false claims linking her photoshoot to the death. She also claimed that she and those associated with her had been receiving threats. "SHAME ON THE MEDIA spreading false claims for hype - saying that my photoshoot with a pink elephant caused an elephant's death," Buruleva wrote. "There is evidence confirming that the elephant died of old age many months after the shoot, yet speculation is presented as fact." "And to those who send hate, threats, and even death wishes to me, my friends, models, and followers - this says everything about your values," she added. She ended her post with an appeal for support, asking followers to share her message using the hashtag #supportArtistJuliaBuruleva. Social media users, however, refused to accept her defence, arguing that an elderly elephant should not have been subjected to such a photoshoot in the first place. "Sorry, but no. You don't deserve support. It was an elderly elephant that couldn't say if it was in pain or uncomfortable or stressed. Do it to yourself or anyone who wants to do it. Animals aren't trophies or toys," wrote one Instagram user. "No one supports you. You can go climb Mount Everest and shout that you're not responsible for that poor creature's death, but the truth is that you used that elephant in a way no animal should be used," read one of the hundreds of comments under her post. Several of the critical responses were in Russian. One such comment, translated online, read: "You destroyed a living creature solely for the sake of content and likes. And you think you are completely blameless? Why do you believe you have the right to torment animals? Today it's an elephant - who will it be tomorrow? You, and you alone, are to blame for what happened."...