It’s common knowledge that captive elephants in Kerala are often tortured. So, it’s no surprise, they tend to run amok at the slightest provocation.
This is not how things were in the days when their owners gave them much love, fed and kept them well. Jumbos, in fact, shared an excellent chemistry with their mahouts then, since they used to treat them as their children.
That chemistry doesn’t seem to work these days. There are far too many cases of elephants going berserk, and with the annual festival season peaking in temples across the State, elephants used in the rituals will have a bad time of it.
There are several explanations for why the mahout-jumbo chemistry no longer works. The obvious one is that elephants may not be treated as well today as they were in the past. A more complicated, and perhaps even far-fetched reason proffered by some is that mahouts these days are jealous of their elephants.
According to this theory, mahouts are confronted with an identity crisis since on ceremonial occasions their existence is dwarfed by the overpowering presence of their jumbos. This could make them jealous or hostile towards their charges.
“I would say they can develop hostility. This could be one reason some mahouts torture elephants. I’m certain mahouts like many other vulnerable sections need preventive emotional support,” says eminent psychiatrist C.J. John.
Mr John said each category demands different counselling tools. “We need to develop appropriate tools in the case of mahouts for effective counselling. This alone will improve the mahout-jumbo relationship.”
One is reminded of a Jataka tale in which a king plotted to kill his elephant because his subjects marvelled more at the magnificent animal than at the king who sat atop it!
Mr John also says that mahouts in the olden days used to be very passionate about their job. “That was one reason why the chemistry worked. But, today, it’s a means of livelihood for many. Added to this is the stress factor.”
Stress is taking its toll on both the elephants and their mahouts since the number of temple festivals has drastically gone up across the State in the last six years, while the captive elephant population is dwindling.
“There’s a demand-supply gap and elephant renting has become the most profitable business now. In the olden days, people owned elephants for the love of the animal. They were not driven by commercial motives,” says N. Surya Narayanan, a native of Palakkad
Mr Narayanan’s family owned three elephants 15 years ago. “The death of one elephant came as a huge shock to my grandfather. It was more than he could bear. That’s why we decided not to have any more elephants,” Mr Narayanan revealed.
Heritage Animal Task Force secretary, Mr Venkitachalam, said his organisation would offer psychiatric counselling to the mahouts soon. “We are in talks. We will organise special counselling sessions in the interests of both elephants and their mahouts.”
Last month, elephants ran amok at five places. Malayalappuzha Rajan went berserk during a festival at the Aranmula Parthasara- thi temple on January 21, followed by Omallur Adikesavan at Chengannur Mahadeva temple on January 26.
On January 28, the tusker Devidasan attacked three other elephants during a festival at Kozhissery temple in Malappuram district. On the same day, at Thirumittakkode temple in Palakkad district, four elephants were attacked by Ayyappan, the tusker owned by Keerangat Mana.
On Wednesday, Ayyappan, another tusker, ran amok during a temple festival at Lekkidi Perur temple in Palakkad district. It took the mahouts four trying hours to bring the elephant under control.
Mr Venkitachalam says in 2011, there were 240 episodes of elephants running amok. “In total, 39 mahouts were killed by elephants. This only shows that all is not well with the elephant-mahout relationship,” he said.
