Thrissur: Running away from torture, jumbo falls into well, dies

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A 35-year-old elephant, Valiyapurackal Dhruvan, died after it fell into an open well near Kunnamkulam in Thrissur on Tuesday as it ran wild after it was allegedly subjected to torture by its mahouts. With Dhruvan’s death, the total number of captive elephant deaths in the state has risen to 16, more than half the total death count last yer (24); 43 is the number of deaths in one year and seven months. It was only a day before, on July 30, that another captive elephant, 42-year-old Kodumon Ganapathy, was found dead at the spot where it was tethered. The ownership of both the elephants had regularly changed hands, leading to constant travel and overwork for these elephants.

“Both Dhruvan and Ganapathy were among the 427 captive elephants kept by illegal elephant contractors without having any statutory ownership certificate,” said V.K. Venktachalam, the secretary of Heritage Animal Task Force. Venkitachalam said that Ganapathy was initially in the custody of a person named Koduman Kunjumon and after his death three years ago, the elephant was illegally rented out to various elephant contractors. “Along with the constant change in custodians, Ganapathy was also subjected to worst forms of disciplining,” he alleged and added: “At the time of death, this elephant was tethered at a place that did not have any basic facilities. It had wounds all over its body, too.”

The deaths of most elephants this year were festival related. Some of them, like Parthasarathy and Junior Achuthan, had collapsed at the spot where they were tied. These deaths had also exposed the veterinary community’s inability to deal with an ailing pachyderm. Take for instance Parthasarathy’s death in June. It was only days before that there were Facebook posts assuring ‘fans’ that Parthasarathy had recovered. “The elephant, which was donated to Aaranmula Parthasarathi Temple at the age of six, died due to torture, neglect and experimental methods of veterinary treatment,” Venkitachalam alleged. He also accused Travancore Devaswom Board for the continuing neglect of captive elephants.