An animal rights organisation has opposed the Tamil Nadu Forest Department's plan to capture and train three wild elephants of a herd at Mudhumalai Tiger Reserve.
"Typical taming and training of wild elephants involves severe cruelty, such as separating the animals from their mothers or other members of the family group, subjecting the animals to constant confinement by using a kraal...," Manilal Valliyate, Director of Veterinary Affairs, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), said in his letter to the state forest minister.
PETA also referred reports that three kraals (wooden enclosures) have been built for the purpose of taming and training these elephants, which would last 45 days. Elephants in such enclosures were often tightly tied with ropes to keep them from being able to move and many try to escape, causing themselves injury and putting themselves at risk of being punished by mahouts, he contended. He also alleged that typical elephant training methods violate many clauses of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960.
The Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, too, prohibited the capture and hunting of elephants except in certain circumstances, such as for scientific management, but there was nothing scientific about cruelly capturing and torturing wild elephants, he said.
PETA suggested setting up of a conflict mitigation task force in the affected area with elephant experts, including elephant behaviour specialists, to identify solutions that don't include capture and torture of wild elephants. Of late, there have been reports of wild elephants straying into human habitations near the Reserve.
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