Indian Elephant Polo

[Guest guest]

Anybody under the sun, having info on how wild elephants are TAMED will hang

his/her head in shame as part of the........... human race !!

-Debasis Chakrabarti,Compassionate Crusaders Trust.

 

 

 

> On 10/11/06, wrote:

> >

> > Dear Madam,

> > There can be no doubt that the very

> spectacle of

> > elephants playing polo is demeaning. As for comments on Mark

> Shand, his

> > books and his involvement in the last Kaziranga festival are

> enough proof of

> > what he has done. It is surprising that rather than

> acknowledging your

> > mistake you are tring to justify your stance. It is the cruel

> act that needs

> > prosecution and not the people who are questioning it for a

> valid reason.

> > Please keep in mind that Mark Shand is not the only person in

> this world who

> > has the right to voice his opinion, regardless of what royal

> connections he

> > may have. Someone travelling all over India on an elephant is

> not giving the

> > right conservation message. If he was, then animal welfare

> groups would not

> > have protested the festival at Kaziranga where elephant football

> and tug of

> > war was planned and cancelled. Many thanks for your

> understanding. If you

> > still feel like prosecuting, please feel free to go ahead.

> > Best wishes and kind regards,

> >

> >

> Sincerely> yours,

> >

> > Ghosh

> >

> >

> > On 10/11/06, Christine Townend <cjt > wrote:

> > >

> > >

> > >

> > >

> > >

> > > **Christine Townend < cjt

> > > **11 October 2006 2:28:58 PM

> > > **emtrust

> > > *Cc: *Mark Shand < macshand, timmiekumar

> > > ***Fwd: Message from Dame Daphne Sheldrick On Indian

> Elephant> > Polo Match *

> > >

> > >

> > > Dear Dame Daphne, Help in Suffering is disturbed by your

> statement which

> > > contains incorrect information which is now being widely

> circulated (see

> > > below). The people who have given you the incorrect

> information have had no

> > > communication with Help in Suffering in order to check the

> facts, and have

> > > placed defamatory statements on the internet about Mark Shand

> which are

> > > incorrect and for which they should be prosecuted. They are

> not a reliable

> > > source, therefore.

> > > 1) There will be no ankush used in this alternative elephant

> polo match,

> > > the purpose of which is to demonstrate to the 15-20 private

> companies which

> > > hold polo matches in Jaipur every season (and which cannot be

> prevented at

> > > present from holding these matches), that the use of the

> ankush is redundant

> > > and should be abandonned. Indeed, we have succeeded in having

> use of the

> > > ankush abolished in Jaipur, with support of Rajasthan

> Government, which has

> > > taken years of effort, among many other important welfare

> measures,> > including a ban on the elephants working in the

> summer months during the

> > > day, ban on sick or crippled elephants working, licencing of

> mahouts, and

> > > limiting the load to two people, insisting owners provide

> shade, etc.,etc. I

> > > would ask whether the group criticising HIS has managed any

> such similar

> > > achievements.

> > > 2) The match will not be played in 40'c heat. This would be

> appauling.> > Mid-November is the beginning of winter in Jaipur,

> and the temperature will

> > > be round about 23-28'c.

> > > 3) Each elephant will only play for 10 minutes

> > > I request that you would kindly send a retraction to the

> groups below

> > > who have received your letter of condemnation.

> > > With best wishes,

> > > Christine Townend,

> > > Chair of Trustees.

> > >

> > >

> > >

> > > ** " Help In Suffering " < hisjpr

> > > **11 October 2006 1:58:08 PM

> > > ** " Christine Elizabeth Townend " < cjt

> > > ***Fw: Message from Dame Daphne Sheldrick On Indian

> Elephant> > Polo Match *

> > >

> > >

> > >

> > > - **

> > >

> > > *To:* aapn ; suparnaganguly ;

> rob;> > virginia ;

> royjones ;

> > > animalcrusader ; kisorpapri ;

> > > azamsiddiqui ; ruth.powys ;

> > > hisjpr ; kalimpong ;

> > > rnbglasgow ; juneharney ;

> mandy ;

> > > ashok

> > > *Sent:* Tuesday, October 10, 2006 7:24 PM

> > > *Subject:* Message from Dame Daphne Sheldrick On Indian

> Elephant Polo

> > > Match

> > >

> > >

> > >

> > >

> > > ---------- Forwarded message ----------

> > > TRUST < emtrust

> > > Oct 10, 2006 7:13 PM

> > > Indian Elephant Polo Match

> > > journalistandanimals

> > >

> > >

> > >

> > > <http://www.sheldrickwildlifetrust.org/>

> > >

> > >

> > >

> > > A year or two ago i was invited to India as perhaps the world's

> > > authority on elephants having hand reared from newborn over 75

> orphaned> > elephant babies and successfully returned them when

> grown to the wild herds

> > > of Tsavo East National park in Kenya. My work with elephants

> spans 50 years

> > > and has been recognized by the Queen with, initially an MBE,

> and more

> > > recently a DBE, in addition to which I hold an Hon. degree in

> Veterinary> > Medicine and Surgery from Glasgow University and

> have been awarded the Moran

> > > of the of the Burning Spear by Kenya and am a 1992 UNEP Global 500

> > > Laureate. I know elephants sufficiently well to be able to

> categorically> > say that forcing them to entertain the public in

> an Elephant Polo

> > > Tournament, in temperatures of over 40 degrees is not only

> insensitive but

> > > cruel, especially as they will be prodded by sharp ankuses

> etc, etc. I am

> > > shocked that a close relative of the Duchess of Cornwall is

> planning to

> > > partake and by doing so supports such antics. Elephants are

> intolerant to

> > > heat and would naturally be resting under shade when

> temperatures soar. I

> > > think the adverse publicity that will result from India

> embarking on this

> > > exercise will far out-weigh any benefits and simply reflect

> badly on India's

> > > Animal Welfare record and also the reputation of highly

> connected people. I

> > > would appeal to the authorities to withdraw from this polo

> spectacle and

> > > play polo instead on horseback, (without the use of ankuses

> and prods).

> > >

> > > Dame Daphne Sheldrick DBE, MBE, MBS, DVMS, 1992 Global 500

> Laureate.> >