KUALA LUMPUR, Oct. 23 -- The Taiping Municipal Council (MPT) has rejected claims that the three Malaysian elephants sent to Japan's Tennoji Zoo in Osaka are being abused or neglected, insisting the animals are healthy and have settled into their new surroundings.

Free Malaysia Today (FMT) reported MPT president Mohamed Akmal Dahalan as saying that Dara, Amoi and Kelat were reunited on September 20 after being kept apart for a period following their transfer, and now have free access to the whole enclosure.

He was responding to concerns raised on social media that the elephants were displaying behaviour such as head swaying, zoochosis and frequent musth episodes.

Mohamed Akmal said in a statement that such behaviour could not be directl...