Animal welfare groups urge T.N. government to end practice of keeping elephants in temples

Animal welfare organisations urge Tamil Nadu Ministers to replace live temple elephants with mechanical alternatives for their welfare.

As many as 11 animal welfare organisations from Tamil Nadu and other parts of the country have jointly urged the Ministers of Forests and Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments to end the practice of keeping elephants in the State’s temples.

The organisations have advocated for replacing live elephants with mechanical alternatives. This representation, signed by Chinny Krishna of Blue Cross of India, Arun Prasanna, People for Cattle in India, Norma Alvares, People for Animals, Goa, and eight others, follows the death of Subbulakshmi, a 53-year-old elephant, who suffered fatal injuries when a fire broke out on the roof of the Shri Shanmuganatha Peruman temple at Kundrakudi in Sivaganga district.

In a letter to the Ministers, dated September 16, the organisations referenced a July 2022 report from a committee of experts, formed by former Chief Wildlife Warden Shekar Kumar Niraj, who inspected four temple elephants, including Subbulakshmi. The report revealed that Subbulakshmi, a geriatric elephant, was suffering from several physical ailments, including obesity, foot rot, cracked footpads, and an abnormal head-bobbing behaviour.

“While the fire may very well have been an accident, her death was wholly avoidable as real elephants are not required in temples, whereas they are necessary in forests for a healthy ecosystem,” the letter says.

Pointing out that the Madras High Court in 2021 called for a policy to ban the future ownership of elephants by private individuals and temples due to welfare concerns, the organisations said mechanical elephants were already in use at locations including temples in Mysuru and Kochi. The signatories highlighted that unlike real elephants, mechanical elephants were eco-friendly, low-maintenance, cost-effective, and safe. They don’t experience loneliness, anger, or hunger, require no water, and offer employment opportunities for artisans. 

The groups want the elephants currently in Tamil Nadu’s temples to be relocated to sanctuaries, where they can live unchained and alongside others of their kind.