Sivasankaran, an 18-year-old elephant of the Sreemahadevar temple at Parassala, is tethered to a concrete pillar inside a coconut grove for the past several days. There is no regular mahout and care is minimal. The animal’s plight has prompted local people to solicit the support of People for Animals and launch a “Save Sivasankaran” campaign on Facebook. More than 1,200 people have signed an online petition.
“No one wants me…even the so called forest and wildlife officers who are paid to protect me don’t want to punish those who have been torturing me…Can anyone of you help me get away from this place? Or why not think of mercy killing so as to free me from this pathetic life” reads the message posted on the Facebook page.
A member of the Trivandrum chapter of the People for Animals said the elephant had been leading “a miserable and pathetic life.” As per the Kerala Captive Elephant Management Rule, 2012, there should be a proper shelter for the animal with two trained mahouts. But none of these applies to Sivasankaran.
“Even after a series of written complaints and protests, the Forest Department has done nothing. When we approached the authorities in January, they refused to book a case despite violation of rules. So we decided to launch an online campaign to draw the attention of animal lovers,” said one of the campaigners.
Chief Wildlife Warden G. Harikumar told The Hindu that the issue had been brought to his notice only on Monday.
“I have issued directions to officers to look into the complaint,” he said.
Conservator of Wildlife, Thiruvananthapuram, B.R. Vijayakumar, said on the directions of Chief Wildlife Warden a veterinary doctor inspected the elephant on Tuesday and found the animal in musth.
“It’s true that the regular mahout has gone on leave. A person has been employed by the temple authorities on daily wages. There is no shelter for the animal, which is a mandatory requirement,” he said.
The District Forest Officer had been asked to inspect the animal on Thursday and to submit a report immediately, Mr. Vijayakumar said. In the event of further neglect, action would be initiated against those involved.
