KOCHI: With the Animal Welfare Board of India stressing the need to ban animals in circuses, animal welfare organisations in Kerala are worried about their rehabilitation as there are no active mechanisms for the same in the state
The Centre is soon likely to issue an order banning animals in circuses with the Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI) -- a statutory body established under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (PCA) Act, 1960, advising the Central government -- to pass the legislation to screen circuses registered under the Performing Animal (Registration) Rules in the country.
It is learnt that seven out of the 27 circuses in India are registered in Kerala or owned by Keralites. However, the state is ill-equipped to rescue and rehabilitate these animals once the ban order comes into effect. The advisory issued by the AWBI comes in the wake of the recent inspections carried out by the board following a directive from the Delhi High Court based on a petition filed by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA).
As per the data available, 27 circuses registered with the AWBI between 2000 and 2010 hold around 759 animals. As per the data gathered by the AWBI, currently 19 of the 27 circuses are functional. Only six circuses are legal, and they collectively have 88 animals including 41 dogs, two camels, eight horses, and 37 birds.
“The inspection conducted by AWBI revealed that 41 dogs and eight horses were likely to be three years old at the time of registration, so those still alive have already surpassed their retirement age and are thus physically unfit to be used for any work or performance. In India, animals are considered a part of the property and can be seized by the government only if the owner ill-treats them. Here, the animals were not available at the registered addresses during inspections. More inspections will be held soon in the state and if any animal faces neglect, the government will have to rescue and rehabilitate it,” said Manilal Valliyate, CEO of PETA, India.
No active SPCAs in state to protect animals
Closer home, with the majority of SPCAs (Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) defunct in the state, animal welfare organisations in Kerala are worried about the rehabilitation of the animals of circuses based here. The Animal Husbandry Department is clueless about rehabilitation and has no welfare schemes for such animals. K M Dileep, director, said that the department frequently issues directions to district authorities to form SPCAs.
“Unfortunately, the majority of the SPCAs are not functioning in the state. The department has no welfare schemes though we conduct awareness programmes in every district across the state to sensitise the public,” he said.M N Jayachandran, member of the State Animal Welfare Board, said that board meetings were infrequent. “As per norms, the board, which is constituted once in three years and chaired by the minister for Animal Husbandry, should meet regularly.
The committee has met hardly twice over the past three years. The state is ill-equipped to rehabilitate animals. It has been 10 years since we placed a proposal to start a rehabilitation centre and a veterinary hospital for the upkeep of such relinquished animals. Till day, the government hasn’t considered it,” he said.
Jayachandran said that the state government has not prioritised the welfare of animals. “If the state government had any consideration for the animals, they would have never roped in Kudumbashree for carrying out the Animal Birth Control (ABC) programme,”he said.
Latha Indira of the People for Animals (PFA) said that the state has no mechanism to rehabilitate animals. “The Forest Department has no shelter to accommodate animals. They cage animals at their facilities available. We do not receive official notifications when we hand over animals to the department,” she said.
Violations detected
The AWBI has urged the Centre to issue the legislation, the draft notification of which was issued in 2018. Inspections conducted by the AWBI reveal that many circuses were closed long ago, some animal records were difficult to trace, and that important data was missing or had been concealed by the circuses, indicating gross violations of The Performing Animals (Registration) Rules, 2001. Following this, the registration of five circuses was cancelled and the respective state governments were directed to rescue and rehabilitate the animals. According to officials, many gross violations and discrepancies were found during the inspections.
AWBI-registered circuses in Kerala
Great Rayman Circus, Kochi
Rajkamal Circus, Kannur
Great Bombay Circus, Thalassery
Jumbo Circus, Kannur
Amar Circus , Kozhikode
The Royal Circus, Thalassery
The Great Indian Circus , Kannur