Around a week after an elephant brought for ‘Ayyappan Vilakku’ ran amok and fell in a slushy field at Kadalundi, the Kozhikode district administration has announced that the organisers of religious festivals will have to strictly go by the rules on the use of elephants.
At a meeting here on Wednesday, District Collector U.V. Jose said the organisers should take permission before ferrying the animals from other districts. He suggested that it would be better to use the elephants registered in the district itself. Those being used for religious procession should have the certificate from a veterinary doctor.
The assistant conservator of forests pointed out that the authorities should insist that microchips had been inserted into the body of the animals.
Each mahout should be insured for ₹5 lakh and a general insurance for ₹3 lakh.
If more than five elephants are being paraded, a veterinary doctor from the Elephant Squad should be present there. During the parade, there should be sufficient space between the elephants. The animals should not be made to walk on tarred roads during summer and firecrackers should not be burst near them, the official added.
