ALAPPUZHA: Parading of elephants is an unavoidable and enchanting part of the festival season in Kerala. But on the darker side, 176 people, including 144 mahouts, have succumbed to the tuskers’ fury in the last five years.
Apart from mahouts, 10 women—a girl student, a veterinary doctor, an elephant owner and a vegetable vendor—have been victims of the animal wrath.
Officials linked the rising number of causalities to the laxity in enforcing rules related to the handling of domesticated elephants.
According to V K Venkitachalam, secretary of the Heritage Animal Task Force (HATF), most of the accidents occurred during temple festivals. He said the district administration, wild life department, Divisional Forest Officers and elephant owners were the main violators of the rules. “As per the Supreme Court order on August 18, 2015, elephants cannot be paraded without the written permission of the District Collector. Collectors are supposed to issue permission only after ensuring enforcement of rules related to elephant parade. But collectors often do not adopt a strict approach,” Venkitachalam said.
As per the SC order, elephants should be paraded only between 8 am to 11 am and 5 pm to 8 pm. However, in most of the festivals rituals are being held through the night, and elephants too needed to go through the rigour. This chorus can disturb the elephants, turning them violent. The incident at Kayamkulam Varanapallil temple offered the latest instance. The elephant killed the mahout and destroyed the temple sreekovil (sanctum sanctorum) and surrounding buildings.
Venkitachalam said the Guruvayoor Devaswom owns a massive contingent of elephants—56. “They are following the elephant parade rules and it reduced accidents related to elephants in that temple. Most of the temples under the devaswom board are parading three elephants. The elephants have also been provided proper medical care and food, reducing the number of accidents,” Venkitachalam said.