THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: After bringing in restrictions on use of captive elephants for festivals, the Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI) has approached the Union government seeking a ban on use of elephants in circuses.The AWBI has sent an advisory to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change on September 6 to ban performance by jumbos, a major attraction for circus lovers in the country.
This effectively will have a major impact on the industry where animal performance is a major attraction.
“AWBI has been taking away animals from us for some time. We have suffered huge loss as children are not willing to watch circus without performance by animals. The ban will break this industry,” rued Sanil George of Global Circus. Circus companies have challenged the move to ban performance by elephants in Supreme Court and a final verdict is awaited on September 21. In the case of other captive elephants an advisory by AWBI is only recommendative in nature. But in the case of circus animals, AWBI is the prescribed authority under the Performing Animals (Registration) Rules (PARR), 2001, with power to cancel the Performing Animal Registration Certificate issued to circus companies.
At present, there are 31 elephants used by recognised circus companies for performance. About 90 percent of the existing 26 circus companies are from Kerala, said PETA India Director of Veterinary Affairs Dr Manilal Valliyate.
Elephants, though protected under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, are excluded from the ban imposed by the Union government which prohibits the use of wild animals from for performance. This recommendation is based on a study report submitted by the members and co-opted members of the board, including animal-welfare and legal experts from People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India.
The advisory was based on a report that elephants are subjected to cruelty during training and performance. The 43rd general meeting of the AWBI, held in Chennai on July 23, 2016, approved this report and made a decision to send an advisory to the Union government.
Meanwhile Kerala is planning to open a 100-acre sanctuary for 560 odd captive elephants which are mainly used for temple festivals and hard labour.