MADURAI: An animal activist questioned why animals such as camels should be kept in a temple.
Condemning poor animal management by temple officials in Madurai leading to pathetic health and alleging that poor living condition led to an early death, the animal activist asked the HR&CE Department to provide basic facilities.
Narrating the ordeal faced by the lone camel in Meenakshi temple, Sunitha Christy of People for Animals (PFA) said, “A lone camel in the temple living in poor condition is counting its days. The camel is weak and has a deep wound on its back. Though caretakers claim they are giving treatment but poor facilities in the animal shed mean it would die soon.”
“Thiruparankundram temple bought two young camels recently. It was sad to learn that three of them died after jumping into an unfenced well,” she said.
“There were three camels in Meenakshi temple when I visited in 1997-98. It was painful to learn that the animals, which would live much longer, died soon because of adverse conditions,” said Prema Veeraraghavan, an animal lover from Chennai.
Sunitha said, “The situation is worse at Koodal Alagar Perumal temple where a diabetic elephant has developed wounds on all its legs and struggles to move.”
Collector L Subramanian said veterinarians were strictly instructed to look into the health of elephants in the temple. “Elephants are under special care of a veterinarian from Kovai and all health issues are taken care of,” he said.