Thrissur: The letter sent by the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife) & Chief Wildlife Warden to the district collector directing an indefinite ban on one of the most sought after captive elephants in the state The-chikkottukavu Ramachandran has revealed the severe torture meted out to the pachyderm.
According to the letter dated 21.03.2019, a multi-disciplinary committee was set up to study the temperament and behaviour of the ‘killer jumbo’ and as per the report filed it on 06.03.2019 to the office of the PCCF & CWW, the elephant had been subjected to heavy work and long distance travel (750 kms in 8 days) before it ran amok at a private event at Kotta-ppadi near Guruvayur on February and stamped to death two persons.
The committee has also found that the pachyderm was over 55 years of age, than it is mentioned in its records. It has also digestive issues.
“Due to its old age and incapacitated normal vision, it is necessary to bring down the stress on the animal by reducing workload. The blindness of the right eye is forcing the animal to use one eye to observe surroundings. Elephant is very suspicious of its surrounding and has misbehaved with slightest of disturbance,” the report says.
Acting on the letter of PCCF & CWW, district collector had issued an order banning the parading of the elephant in festival. V.K. Venkitachalam general secretary of Heritage Animal Task Force, a pro-animal organisation in Thrissur said that Since 1996, the elephant had killed 11 persons including four women, one student and six mahouts.
