GURUVAYUR: Acting on a complaint filed by animal lovers regarding the alleged lack of facilities at the elephant sanctuary of Guruvayur Devasom at Punnathur Kotta, a four-member team of Compassion Unlimited Plus Action (CUPA) visited the facility.
Devasom officials said that CUPA, a Banglore based organisation, has been asked by the Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI) to inspect the sanctuary. The inspection went on for nearly two-and-a-half hours, he added.
It is learnt that the complaint about the alleged lack of facilities in the sanctuary had been filed by Heritage Animals Task Force base in Thrissur.
Devasom’s Deputy Administrator (Live Stock)Krishnankutty said that an inspection report will be forwarded by CUPA to AWAI. CUPA team lead by its chairperson Suparna Ganguly did not express any displeasure over the treatment given to more than 50 elephants at the sanctuary, he said. Heritage Animals Task Force secretary V K Venkitachalam told ‘Express’ that Ganguly spoke to him over the phone and he will be meeting her on Wednesday. He said that his organisation had been regularly sending complaints to animal welfare authorities about the lack of proper space, shelter and also violation of laws regarding protection of animals at the sanctuary.