Tension prevailed at Anayara on Thursday evening after an elephant engaged to move out logs from a plot being cleared for construction activity turned restive. The 16-year-old elephant, Skandan, brought from Kollam, turned violent and chased its first mahout Ismail who ran to safety.
The mahouts managed to chain the elephant that finally stood calm inside the coconut grove. Witnesses said the elephant, which was brought for work three days ago, turned violent and was aggressive for about 30 minutes before the animal was tamed by the mahouts.
A team of Forest Department officials reached the spot after animal rights activists alerted them.
Deputy Ranger Udayan told The Hindu that a veterinary surgeon would examine the animal on Friday to find out whether the elephant turned violent as a result of any torture.
Leena Latheef, animal rights activist, said the animal turned violent after it was made to toil for the past three-days without proper food.
“It is just 16 years and not fit enough to carry heavy tree logs, that too for continues three days. It amounts to cruelty to the animal,” she said.
There are enough provisions under the Kerala Captive Elephants (Maintenance and Management) Rules 2012 to register case against owner of the elephant, Ms. Latheef added.
She said the mahouts used torturous methods to tame the elephant after it turned violent.
