KOCHI: Six lives lost in 45 days.
The vibrant Kerala festivals provide an enchanting experience, blending dance, music and rituals. The majestic elephant parades, the rhythmic percussion ensembles and the spectacular fireworks displays attract revellers from far and wide.
But frequent tragedies, involving elephants running amok amid fireworks, dampen the festive spirit, sparking debates on safety regulations. As many as 58 people have been killed by captive elephants at temple festivals over the last seven years.
“Elephants cannot be domesticated and we have only tamed them. They are extremely sensitive to sound, light and crowd. There will be behavioural changes during the musth period, and hot climatic conditions can increase the stress. Organisers fail to maintain the mandated distance between the public and elephants. Some people touch the animals from behind, which makes them insecure. Unruly mobs and the bursting of crackers can provoke them,” a top official with the forest department said.
Thursday’s tragedy at the Koyilandy Manakulangara temple festival, where an elephant went on the rampage leaving three people dead and 30 others and another jumbo injured, has kicked off another round of debate on the need to stringently enforce the Kerala Captive Elephant (Management and Maintenance) Rules. On January 8, an elephant named Pakkath Sreekuttan killed a person during the BP Angadi Nercha in Tirur.
A disabled person was killed by the tusker Chittilappilly Ganeshan during the Painkannikkal temple festival at Chittattukara on February 4. A mahout was mauled to death by tusker Vallamkulam Narayanan Kutty at Koottanad in Palakkad on February 7.
“Many factors contribute to the behaviour of captive elephants. Elephants take refuge in the shade to escape heat in the wild. We are making these animals stand under the scorching sun for hours, amidst a cheering crowd and the bursting of crackers. These are manmade tragedies and we cannot blame elephants. We cannot blame the climate for such tragedies as individual temperaments also contribute. We should debate whether it is necessary to torture animals in the name of rituals and traditions,” said wildlife researcher and conservation expert P S Easa.
Forest Minister A K Saseendran said a probe by Conservator of Forests R Keerthi has uncovered violations of the Captive Elephant Management and Maintenance Rules in Koyilandy. The department will register a case and initiate stringent action against the owner of the elephant and the temple management. “The government has tried to permit elephant parades subject to conditions set by the High Court. But, if temple authorities violate the rules we will take stringent action,” Easa said.
The report submitted by Keerthi said organisers violated rules. The elephants were not chained properly and organisers burst crackers which provoked the animals, it said.
Refuting allegations that tusker Guruvayur Peethambaran is temperamental and had attacked other elephants at past festivals, Guruvayur Devaswom Board chairman V K Vijayan said the animal has a very calm disposition.
“We have to investigate the Koyilandy incident to get to the root of the issue. The mahout said Peethambaran calmed down around 10 minutes after the incident. A team of officials including veterinarians reached Koyilandy and attended on both the elephants. Guruvayur Gokul, who suffered a deep injury after Peethambaran’s tusk pierced its body, has been provided medical treatment and it will take a month to heal. Both elephants will enter the musth period by March 20,” he said.
Koyilandy elephant rampage: Kerala HC summons Guruvayur Devaswom Deputy Administrator
KOCHI: Intervening in the incident in which three people were killed after two elephants ran amok during the Manakulangara temple festival in Koyilandy, the High Court on Friday directed the Guruvayur Devaswom officials to appear before the court on Monday.
A Division Bench comprising Justices Anil K Narendran and Muralee Krishna S issued the directive on a petition filed by Sangita Iyer, president of Voice For Asian Elephants Society, Canada, to ensure the welfare of captive elephants. When the plea was taken up for consideration, the counsel for the petitioner pointed out the incident that happened on Thursday. The court directed the Guruvayur Devaswom deputy administrator (livestock) to be personally present in the court on Monday along with documents maintained on captive elephants.