Thiruvananthapuram
Amid the Coronavirus pandemic upheaval, death of a pregnant elephant in Kerala after it bit a cracker-packed coconut has sparked nationwide outrage. The elephant fell dead in a shallow ford in Mannarkad in Palakkad district after writhing in excruciating pain for days from the deep cuts it suffered in the mouth after biting the explosive-trap laid by men. The device might have been meant for wild boars, herds of which frequently foray into forest-fringe villages to feast on crops.
After the initial round of anguish and expression of sympathies, the tragic end of the pachyderm would fade as yet another case of man-animal conflict. A routine investigation by the Wildlife Department and the police is on. One person has been arrested and two others wanted in the case are at large.
For centuries, elephants have been trapped, tamed, trained and mercilessly exploited by the rich and mighty of Kerala for pure pleasure and economic advantage. Ironically, the state’s official emblem features two majestic tuskers, with their trunks raised, showering blessings on the self-proclaimed God’s Own Country. The sad fact however, remains that no other animal has been so great a victim of subjugation and torture at the hands of Malayalis as elephants.
Pretensions of high culture and superficial regard for nature, Malayalis cannot wash their hands off merciless treatment meted out to generations of elephants. No other animal is pinched from head to tail by men as jumbos. Possession of elephants has always been considered as a way to flaunt power and pelf. Their tusks adorned palaces and temples. Exquisite artifacts were carved out of ivory by dexterous craftsmen, and traded for high prices. The brittle hair at the tip of its tail is plucked out and used to decorate signet rings.
During the royal-feudal days, elephants were prominent symbols of vainglory. Later, they were showcased as the most striking image of the best of Kerala culture. Parading caparisoned elephants with a profusion of parasols revolving in slow motion over them is sold as the most enduring show-piece to lure tourists. Lining up elephants for hours on end amid ear-dinning temple orchestra has been a never-miss feature of most temple festivals, more so of Thrissur pooram, touted as ‘the festival of festivals.’ Idols of gods and goddesses are taken around temples on elephants as part of daily ritual.
Interestingly, Kerala alone can boast of nurturing a particular profession of mahouts, known in local parlance as “pappan”, many of whom are taskmasters in controlling the mighty animal with liberal use of their sharp-edged hook and freely applying other ‘third degree’ methods.
In most cases, the final days of captive elephants are extremely painful. Once their grand appearance and economic utility wane, elephants are left to die silently suffering accumulated wretchedness and physical wounds inflicted on them during the long life. Animal rights activists have also pointed out that captive elephants are the most sexually deprived creatures on earth. Unlike other pests, they are seldom mated in captive conditions.
As per the last wildlife census, the elephant population in forests in Kerala is around 5076. The number of captive elephants stood at 491. Of these, 330 are owned by individuals. The state-controlled temple boards possess 82 elephants and private temples own 41. The rest are under the upkeep of the Forest and Wildlife Department.
Worldwide ban on ivory trade and the international protocols on its strict enforcement had almost put an end to poaching of elephants in Kerala forests.
However, their habitats continued to be under serious threat with green ranges shrinking fast. This has made herds to foray into human settlements close to forests to ravage on hard-grown crops, resulting in frequent man-animal conflicts. Though elephants are largely spared by villagers as it is not easy to tackle them, there have been instances of them biting explosives laden traps meant for wild boars.
After persistent pressures from conservationists and animal rights activists, some strict regulations on possession, upkeep, transportation and parading of elephants have been enforced. These rules, however, are often breached, especially in high summer festival season when elephants are moved around long distances in scorching sun.
It may not be easy to put an abrupt end to centuries old religious and cultural practices in which elephants figure prominently. Slow doses of regulations and awareness programmes have, however, failed to yield desired results. In this context, the campaigners will be stepping up the clamor for a total ban on possession and display of elephants for enjoyment of humans.
