MAYILADUTHURAI: Officials of the district captive elephant welfare committee on Wednesday inspected captive tuskers in Mayiladuthurai and advised the Mayuranathaswamy Temple administration to provide a bigger shelter for its 58-year-old elephant Abayambigai.
The inspection was carried out as per the directions of the state forest department. After the inspection, committee chairperson and Nagapattinam District Forest Officer Abhishek Tomar told TNIE, “The elephant is healthy. We have advised the temple administration to provide a spacious shelter to Abayambigai as per Tamil Nadu Captive Elephants (Management and Maintenance) Rules. We have also advised them to provide a sandy ground for the elephant to rest its feet and a shower system for bathing.”
According to the officials, Abayambigai appears to be accommodated in a crammed space on the temple premises. The temple administration has assured to relocate the pachyderm to comply with the rules. The tusker was brought to the temple from Kerala in 1972. Since then, Abayambigai has been an integral member of the temple administered by Thiruvavaduthurai Adheenam.
The committee also inspected Abirami at Amirdhakadeswarar Temple in Thirukadaiyur and found that the elephant is being sheltered in a much bigger space. They have advised the administration at either temple to set up surveillance cameras to monitor Abayambigai and Abirami. The committee comprised animal husbandry and HR&CE officials, elephant welfare activist N Sivaganesan and Sirkazhi Forest Range Officer A Joseph Daniel.