Elephant GAME IN JAIPUR

[Guest guest]

Dear Dr Krishna,

Thank you very much for your views. I am in

total agreement. A few months ago, I wrote an article in the Telegraph on

the laxity of laws regarding elephants in India. A big cause for worry is

the origin and ownership of these elephants. Elephants are still being

traded in India and that is a huge problem that we should all try to

address. I would venture that it is very difficult to determine how and

where these elephants were captured in the first place.

I think Azam's idea of posting a video is a sound one. I am also willing

to air any footage of elephant training( I have footage of African Elephant

training but as I mentioned the breaking in methods are the same)that I may

possess.

Mr Raj Panjwani mentioned a very important point: that of records of

training methods. One of the most comprehensive studies of elephant training

methods was done by Oxford University researchers Ros Clubb and Georgia

Mason in 2002. The study was commissioned by the RSPCA and deals principally

with zoo elephants but it is one of the most comprehensive studies ever

undertaken on elephants in the world. I found it of immense use during the

zoo project and managed an interview with her in 2004. I have a copy of the

study and am posting the Oxford University press release for a brief

overview. I am quite willing to share the bit on training elephants that Mr

Panjwani talked about. It would be useful in a court case.

Thanks again for writing. Your views are appreciated as always.

Best wishes and kind regards,

 

Yours sincerely,

http://www.ox.ac.uk/blueprint/2002-03/3110/13.shtml

 

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Blueprint]<http://www.ox.ac.uk/blueprint/> 31

October 2002 The newsletter of the University of Oxford Vol. 3 Issue 2

------------------------------

Jumbo welfare problems in zoo elephants

 

Zoo elephants are stressed and unhealthy, with a massively reduced life

expectancy, according to Oxford biologists Dr Ros Clubb and Dr Georgia

Mason. In an independent report released last week, they call for zoos to

stop importing and breeding elephants until they can prove that their

welfare problems are completely solved.

 

In the fullest study ever conducted on zoo elephant welfare, the researchers

in the Department of Zoology found that Asian elephants in European zoos

have just half the lifespan of animals working in timber camps - living

until around 15, instead of 30 years old. None live to the 60-65 years

possible in the wild. Elephants born in zoos are most vulnerable, dying 10

years earlier than animals caught from the wild. Also likely to die young

are the many zoo females that start breeding abnormally early (at 12 or

under, compared with 18-20 years old in the wild). These findings emerged

when the biologists analysed records of elephant births and deaths collected

for up to 100 years by zoos across Europe.

 

The study, funded by the RSPCA, also reviewed over 100 other previous

publications, finding yet more evidence of poor welfare.

 

'Work by other biologists had already set alarm bells ringing', said Dr

Clubb. 'It showed that about 35 per cent of zoo females fail to breed, that

15-25 per cent of Asian elephant calves are stillborn, and that another 6-18

per cent are rejected or even killed by their mothers. 'Zoo elephants have

also been found to be around 50 per cent heavier than wild animals, and many

of them show abnormal behaviour, like weaving to and fro.'

 

Dr Mason added: 'Our job was to put all these studies together and add new

data, to give an overview of zoo elephant welfare. We were shocked at what

emerged. Now the urgent task is to find out how to solve these problems.

There are a lot of strong beliefs out there, but now we need real, objective

data on what captive elephants need for good welfare. Only then can we judge

whether zoos can ever reliably keep these animals well.'

 

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On 10/15/06, drkrishna <drkrishna wrote:

>

> I am certain that the organisers of the elephant polo tournament will

> not bother to comply with the legal requirements unless forced to do

> so by an AWO.

> The penalty for non-compliance is so small that no one is really

> concerned about it and enforcement is extremely lax.

>

> Mr. Shand can speak about helping elephant conservation and may be the

> tournament will indeed draw attention to the plight of elephants in

> India. However, what many of us are concerned about is the welfare

> aspect and there can be little doubt that the welfare of the animals

> used in the tournament will be severely compromised, whether ankus are

> used or not.

>

> S. Chinny Krishna

> Blue Cross of India

>

> Quoting :

>

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

> > Raj Panjwani <rajp339

> > Oct 15, 2006 10:40 AM

> > Re: RAJASTHANI ANIMAL WELFARE ORGANISATION TO ORGANISE ELEPHANT

> > POLO TOURNAMENT

> >

> >

> > There are three prior legal requirements that need to be complied with:

> i)

> > the person who owns the elephant should possess an ownership certificate

> > granted by the Chief Wildlife Warden of the State, of which the owner is

> an

> > ordinary resident. ii) If the elephant is from outside the state, than

> the

> > owner needs to have a transfer certificate issued by the CWW of the

> state to

> > which the animal has been brought. iii) Polo being an event/performance

> the

> > owner needs to have the permission of the AWBI/Director Animal Welfare,

> > MOEFunder the PCA (Performance of Animals) Rules. Are there any studies

> > undertaken to evaluate the kind of training an elephant needs to undergo

> > inorder to do a polo performance.If these studies are available, please

> > forward them to AWBI/Director, Animal Welfare, MOEF with your views on

> the

> > issue.

> > Raj.

> >

> >

> >

> >

> > [image: Send Feedback]

> > <

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