CHENNAI: Dramatic scenes were witnessed on Friday at the private Elephant Care Facility (ECF) in Kurumbaram village in Marakanam about 110 km south of Chennai, as the Forest department launched a pre-dawn operation for shifting three Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam elephants to the newly-opened Tiruchy elephant rehabilitation and rescue centre following the Madras High Court order.
What was shocking was the Forest department’s uncharacteristic urgency in carrying out the operation, which ‘traumatised’ the pachyderms, feel elephant experts. It was a gruelling 10-hour operation, which began around 3.30 am on Friday. A team of eight mahouts had arrived from Topslip in Anamalai Tiger Reserve. Firstly, elephant Indu (35) was loaded into the truck without much fuss, but trouble started when elephants Sandhya (45) and Jayanthi (21) resisted translocation.
The photographic and video evidences show the two elephants were beaten with sticks and mahouts were seen holding bull hooks, which are traditionally used to tame tough elephants by poking the sharp metal stick or hook in areas where elephants are extremely sensitive to touch, such as feet, trunk, spot around the mouth or behind the ears. When Sandhya was finally loaded into the vehicle around 9 am, there were multiple injury marks on its legs and upper body.
Jayanthi, the youngest of the three, did not heed any amount of harsh treatment and was finally pulled into the truck using a long rope tied to JCB.
Media personnel were restricted from recording operation. AS Ramesh, ECF centre manager, alleged that he was locked in the kitchen and even threatened by forest officials for non-cooperation. “These three elephants have lived a chain-free life for the past three years. We treated them with utmost care. We pleaded with forest officials to give us a week to prepare the elephants for translocation, but they were in no mood to listen.”
Kundavi Devi, member, Captive Elephant Welfare Board, Cuddalore, who accompanied Sandhya to the Tiruchy centre, said the elephant was heavily bleeding from nose as she hit hard against the wooden logs inside the truck. “The Forest department should not be proud of what they have done today.” Kundavi, who travelled in forest ranger vehicle to Tiruchy, was stopped at the grate of the Tiruchy centre.
Meanwhile, sources told Express that the Kanchi mutt had reached out to the Forest department expressing its willingness to take back the elephants and create suitable facility near the mutt. The Madras HC had issued translocation order based on inspection reports, which highlighted a few deficiencies in the upkeep of elephants at the centre.
Forest officials deny charges
However, denying abuse charges, Chief Wildlife Warden Sanjay Srivastava told Express that only minimum force was used in the operation. “Only sticks and ropes were used. Elephants’ well-being remained our primary objective. Special trucks were deployed and well trained mahouts, who are tribals, were called in for the operation.”
Media barred entry
While the forest department allowed public to witness the arrival of elephants at the elephant rehabilitation center, the media persons were barred from entering the centre. The forest department did not allow any reporters and stopped them right at the entrance which leads into the forest area.
The elephants were brought here following an order from the Madras High court order, Reportedly, the court ordered that the three elephants be kept together, as they have been from a young age. Meanwhile, Tree Foundation India, an NGO taking care of the elephants, said the claims were false. The elephants were under the trust’s care for over three years, after they were retired from service at the mutt. “The elephants came to our centre after they fell sick. We took good care of the animals, but have been accused of illtreating them”, said Kunthavi Devi, care taker at the Tree Foundation.