Thiruvananthapuram: After a series of elephant attacks in Kerala left five people dead, many injured, and property damaged at temple and mosque festivals in a span of 10 days, an animal rights organisation is stepping in with a unique offer.
The organisation, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India, is sending letters to the affected temples and mosques, offering to donate lifelike mechanical elephants–on one condition.
The institutions must agree to send the distressed elephants to sanctuaries where they can live freely, without chains or weapons, and among their own kind.
They must also pledge never to use real elephants again.
In these letters, PETA India notes that using real elephants in festivals and processions causes these animals severe physical and psychological stress from loud music, traffic, firecrackers and other commotion.
PETA India also states the animals become upset from being controlled through painful and restrictive methods, such as chains and beatings.
“With safer methods such as using palanquins, chariots, carrying the idol in hands and mechanical elephants, there is no reason to use upset, dangerous and unpredictable live elephants for processions, rituals and events,” PETA India Director of Advocacy Projects Khushboo Gupta said on Tuesday.
“PETA India appeals to the temples and Devaswom boards, mosques and others to conduct customs in a compassionate and safe manner with mechanical elephants or other non-animal means,” she said in a statement.
According to PETA India, since February 4, several elephants have turned violent at temple and mosque events in Kerala, causing chaos and tragedy.
One elephant stabbed and killed a man in Thrissur, while another trampled its mahout to death in Palakkad, destroying shops and vehicles. Other incidents include elephants charging through crowds, creating panic, and even falling into a well during festivals.
In one case, two elephants got scared by firecrackers, started fighting, and caused a stampede that killed three people and injured many others.
PETA India started a movement in early 2023 to replace live elephants at events with mechanical ones.
Now, at least 13 mechanical elephants are used in temples across South India, with PETA India donating eight of them to temples in Kerala and Karnataka as a reward for their decision to stop using live elephants, the statement said.
It said these mechanical elephants are now used to conduct ceremonies at temples in a safe and cruelty-free manner, allowing real elephants to stay with their families in the wild.
Each mechanical elephant stands three meters tall, weighs 800 kilograms, and is made from rubber, fiber, metal, mesh, foam, and steel. They operate using five motors.
A mechanical elephant looks and feels like a real one and can be used in the same way, PETA India claimed.
It can shake its head, move its ears and eyes, swish its tail, lift its trunk, and even spray water. People can climb on it, and a seat can be attached to its back. It operates simply by plugging it into an electric source and can be taken through the streets.
Mounted on a wheelbase, these elephants can be moved and pushed around for rituals and processions.
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