(IN): Pachyderms in peril

[Guest guest]

An Assam Tribune Editorial:

 

Pachyderms in peril

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The recent tragic incident in which a domestic elephant went berserk

killing seven people and injuring several others in Cachar has

poignantly highlighted the plight of the State's privately owned

elephants. Around a thousand elephants are in private hands in

different parts of the State, and a large number of them do not have

the support necessary for healthy living. Elephants are a species,

which need to move around, consume food in large quantities, and the

males need special attention in certain times. All of this is

difficult when an elephant is kept shackled, or restrained within a

small territory. Assam of course has had a long tradition of elephant

capture, and using them for human use. For hundreds of years the

elephants were used in the jungles to extract wood, carried people

through rough terrain, and even transported heavy machinery till

recent times. However, times now have changed and especially with the

ban on wood extraction, many of the elephant owners now face a grim

prospect. While those with money to spare have been able to give some

attention to their animals, others are in a quandary with no way to

maintain their valued possessions. Some owners have been compelled to

let their elephants go on long walks, during which the noble beasts

are used to beg for alms from people on the wayside. Still others have

been sent to distant places like Kerala and Karnataka, where they are

reported to working in temples and plantations. Some elephants have

also found their way to terrain very different for their places of

origin. It is significant that some conservationists oppose the idea

of sending the elephants to work outside the State reasoning that the

animals are made to work in strenuous circumstances and have to deal

with an environment that is not conducive to their well being. Some

officials of Forest Department see things differently arguing that if

the animals are stopped for going out, then there should be an

alternative plan to engage the elephants in some activity that helps

in their sustenance. Perhaps it is time for the owners of the domestic

elephants, conservationists and the Forest Department to sit together

and discuss ways out of the present situation. With sincere exchange

of ideas, a pragmatic action plan could be hammered out that would

offer a better life to the animals, which because of their unique

blend of strength, courage and intelligence have been a vital part of

the region's civilisation.