| by N.S.Venkataraman
( December 3, 2012, Chennai, Sri
Lanka Guardian) Tamil Nadu Government, at the cost of the tax payers, is
spending several lakhs of rupees every year in conducting 48 days rejuvenation
camp for temple elephants in the state .
It is not possible to know the
views of speechless elephants which have been forced to take part in the
rejuvenation camp, as to whether they need such camps or they feel that they are compelled to
attend the camps against their will.
People are watching with
curiosity about the giant animals being forced to enter the camp and then being
brought back to the temples to “do their
duty” and many people wonder whether the efforts are worthwhile.
Trapped elephants
The lives of temple
elephants are filled with stress,
boredom, isolation, physical pain and psychological suffering.
The elephant calves are trapped
in clandestine operations by unscrupulous poachers and sold, with forged
certification, to elephant owners and thus become captive animals. These
animals are then trained using cruel techniques to become temple elephants.
Animals always like to remain
free with liberty to move together and stroll wherever they want . When they
are brought to the temple duties, obviously such free living opportunities are denied to them.
Such elephants in captivity often
survive in harsh conditions. The
elephants are plagued by foot sores, dehydration and are prone to injury and
illness. These working elephants have no permanent resting place and are often
made to work continuously for 12 to 14 hours each day.
Good intention and flawed method
We see the photographs in the
media of the elephants being forced to enter into the open lorries for
transporting them to the camp site.
Sometimes, the elephants are so adamant that the government staff have
no alternative other than leaving them and denying them “the rejoice of the
camp living”.
Perhaps, the Tamil Nadu government thought that the
temple elephants would be given freedom atleast for a few days by
taking them to the camps. Instead of helping them, probably such camps would
only make them to realize that the freedom
would be short lived and they
would certainly feel sad when they would be brought back to the temple . One
would not know whether we are helping animals by giving them a few days
freedom. It is perhaps ,similar to the prisoner being released on parole .
Death of elephant Bhavani
It is extremely sad to read about
the death of 57 years old Rameshwaram
temple elephant Bhavani, which died at the camp site near Mettupalayam,
Coimbatore.
The death of a 57-year-old temple
elephant has brought to the fore the stress that these gentle animsals are
often subjected to.
Barely hours before the
rejuvenation camp for temple elephants began, 57-year old Bhavani of the
Ramanathaswamy Temple in Rameswaram died at the camp site in Mettupalayam.
Bhavani reached Mettupalayam after more than 13 hours of travel. She was
transported after local veterinarians there examined her and certified that she
was fit to travel. On arrival at the camp site, the elephant was weighed and
veterinarians examined her and prescribed a food chart.
Around 5.30 p.m., the elephant
got into river Bhavani and was drinking water in a kneeling position. She
remained in the position for more than two hours. Mahouts initially thought
that the elephant was enjoying its dip in the water. When she failed to get up,
veterinarians and officials found that something was wrong. It was ascertained
that the aged and exhausted elephant was unable to get up. Subsequently, she fell
on her side in an awkward position complicating efforts to rescue her.
The elephant Bhavani, which had
consumed lot of water, was lifted out of the river with the help of a
crane.Later, Bhavani was brought to the Forest Department timber depot and marathon
efforts by veterinarians to revive her went in vain. The elephant died in the
small hours and was taken to Rameswaram for burial near the temple.
 Tamil Nadu Government, at the cost of the tax payers, is spen...){kind=link}