When August 12 is celebrated as World Elephant Day, the State has no reason to cheer.
According to the statistics provided by the Heritage Animal Task Force (HATF), 238 wild elephants and 37 captive elephants have died in the last 12 months in the State. Of the 238 wild elephants, 41 are tuskers, 120 are cow elephants and 77 are calves.
In a State where man-elephant conflicts and incidents of wild elephants straying into human inhabited areas are common, 42 wild elephants have died of electrocution. While 45 of them have been poisoned, 151 have died due to internal and external injuries, mostly caused by firearms.
Mindless torture, lack of care, various diseases and medical negligence ring the death knell for captive elephants. Of the 37 dead in the last 12 months, six are females and the rest males, including many legendary elephants like Thiruvambadi Sivasundar.
Impaction ( Iranda Kettu ) and tuberculosis are two major diseases causing death of captive elephants in the State.
A healthy elephant needs to walk a minimum of 18 hours a day and should drink lots of water, say experts. Absence of exercise, lack of healthy diet and insufficient water intake push them to illnesses, said V.K. Venkitachalam, secretary of the HATF.
The continuous parading, without proper rest or food, during the festive season, increases their misery. Experts demand common protocol of treatment for impaction in elephants. The protocols, especially in relation to fodder and exercise need to be completely revised after consultations with local and international veterinarians. The guidelines have to be specific, explaining elaborately the type of fodder, the quantity per feed, quality as well as the frequency of feeding the animals.
There should also be specific instructions on the exercise required, as this is necessary for proper digestion. There should be constant supervision to ensure that the guidelines are being followed, they demand.
Sadly, though the population of captive elephants is dwindling fast, the government has still not initiated any high-level investigation in the case. The Captive Elephants (Management and Maintenance) Rules have been rampantly violated by elephant owners and contractors. They are put in chains and tortured with banned weapons, Mr. Venkitachalam pointed out.
Ironically, even though elephant is Kerala’s official animal, the Kerala Forest Department has no programme to celebrate it, the HATF alleged.
