Teams of officials from Assam and Tamil Nadu on Monday inspected Andal Temple elephant, Jayamalyatha, following a complaint of torture of the elephant by its mahouts.
The teams were led by Additional Principal Chief Conservators of Forests, V. Naganathan (Tamil Nadu) and Hirdesh Mishra (Assam). They inspected the elephant, which has been with the temple since 2011, and the facilities provided to it on the temple premises. Veterinary doctors from both States checked health of the elephant and interacted with the present mahout and temple Executive Officer Muthuraja.
They went through the register maintained in the temple on health of the elephant. They checked the fodder being supplied to the animal, which was brought to the temple from Assam.
A video clip showing the temple elephant being thrashed by its previous mahout during elephant rejuvenation camp in 2021 had gone viral in the social media. Animal activists had asked for taking the elephant back to Assam to prevent its ill-treatment.
