Captive Elephant Conservation: MARK SHAND STYLE

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http://edition.cnn.com/2006/TRAVEL/12/21/elephant.family/

 

Jumbo mission to save Asian Elephants

 

POSTED: 1408 GMT (2208 HKT), December 26, 2006

 

JAIPUR, India (CNN) -- Riding an elephant to the top of the amber

fort in India's desert state city Jaipur is a must-do tourist

attraction, but city living is not ideal for the animals.

 

Now domesticated, they work the tourist trade in a city where, in

summer, temperatures peak at around 40 degrees Celsius.

 

In the past, their treatment has been harsh, but UK-based charity

Elephant Family has been on a mission to teach owners and riders to

treat the elephants better.

 

Giving both financial aid and education to improve conditions, the

man behind their plight is Englishman Mark Shand.

 

Shand, as well as a team of vets from Indian-based animal welfare

charitable trust Help In Suffering (H.I.S.), is working for humane

treatment of the Asian Elephant.

 

The work of the Elephant Family has the support of the state of

Rajasthan.

 

Outside of Jaipur, Asian Elephants face other challenges, including

poaching and the destruction their natural habitat as forests are

logged.

 

The city-based elephants continue to work, but slowly conditions and

local perceptions are changing.

 

One hundred privately owned animals now have shade and work fewer

hours in the heat of the day.

 

Shand told CNN that his philosophy is not to stop the animals being

used in cultural traditions, including being decorated for festivals

and other events, which they have been a part of for hundreds of

years.

 

" You can't stop a tradition that's been going on for years, you can

only help it, " Shand says.

 

" Therefore, slowly, with H.I.S. and our funding, the elephant owners

have come round to our side and realized that they were not treating

their elephants the right way. Now they are right behind us.

 

" They are putting shade up, they are listening to us. They appreciate

the fact that we're getting 24-hour free aid to them as well. We

treat any wounds, we give them any food all the time, we subsidize

the food, we subsidize the mahouts, the owners. "

 

Shand says that because of his work, trainers no longer use an ankush

(elephant hook) to control the animals, which can cause deep wounds

to their flesh.

 

The elephants no longer ride take tourists on the descent from the

amber fort.

 

" Elephants do not like walking downwards, particularly with the

weight of people on them, " Shand says, adding that the saddles that

tourists sit on alone weigh 150 kilograms.

 

" What we're doing now is developing a lightweight carrier that is

only 70 kilograms. Originally there were four people on these

elephants. We've said two is enough and we don't let people ride them

on the way down. "

 

Shand supports the animals playing elephant polo and other cultural

and recreational activities if they are treated properly.

 

His annual Alternative Elephant Polo event, sponsored by jewelry

company Cartier, is held to show the game can be played in a humane

way.

 

" We're trying to set an example. We can't stop these traditions --

they have been here for a long time. We're doing everything slowly,

step by step. "