Guest guest Posted October 12, 2006 Report Share Posted October 12, 2006 Dear Debashishda, I have a video recording of how elephants are 'broken in' in captivity after their capture. as you correctly pointed out to me, the show in itself is a travesty of nature. the organisations and individuals who are protesting this move on the grounds that it is sending the wrong message are very well aware that we are planning to have this show at a time when there is an international outrage over how the street elephants in bombay are being treated. azam has literally lived with elephants in daphne sheldrick's orphanage so he knows what he is talking about. i am posting some links on the brutal methods involved in elephant training. even if no ankus is used, the animals were 'tamed' as you rightly say. the articles describe how. the cruelty is the same for african as well as asian elephants. the allegation that we did not contact the concerned people before protesting the move is false. we did, they did not reply and it was only after daphne sheldrick's and rob Laidlaw's messages that they were jerked into defending their plans. it is quite obvious in this case as to who is on the right side of the law. Edward Berry of the Elephant Commentator has also presented his views succinctly. Regards, *Training* of elephants in zoo and circus<http://www.upali.ch/training_en.html> www.upali.ch/*training*_en.html <http://www.upali.ch/training_en.html> *Elephant* Abuse Charges Add Fuel to Circus Debate<http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2004/04/0406_040406_circuselephan\ ts.html> news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2004/04/0406_040406_circus*elephant*s.html Activists Denounce Thailand's *Elephant* " Crushing " Ritual<http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2002/10/1016_021016_phajaan_2.htm\ l> news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2002/10/1016_021016_phajaan_2.html http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/mp/2006/08/14/stories/2006081402040100.htm *Elephants suffer as well * *WHAT TORTURE! Elephants being physically tortured * A full-grown tusker was captured recently under the orders of the Kerala Forest Minister and put through `training' required to make him obedient. During the training, the elephant was tortured to death. The news did not bring national outcry and so animal talk wishes to highlight his story and others like him. Though assumed rogue and captured by the Kerala Forest Department (KFD) with the proposal to `train' him, the real reason was that the tribals complained about him destroying crops, allegedly killing people. Being a lone elephant that loves *koda* the illicit liquor brew, commonly manufactured in the Kottur region, he was an animal who fit the profile of a rogue. There was no data available with the Forest Department of an official study or enquiry into the allegation of loss of crops and human life this elephant may have caused. Even the practice of *khedda* (wild elephant capture operations), had been banned by the Indian Government decades ago because it left several elephants severely maimed and injured. It involves the process of the kraal operations, similar to the Phajaan system of torture in Thailand . These brutal training methods are clearly violations of Section 11 (1) clauses (a), (b), (e), (f), (h), & (l) ; Section 3 of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, India,1960. Government Orders have banned elephant capture following the brutal training and eventual death of an elephant as these examples illustrate: In Kerala, an elephant captured inWynad in 1995 died in the process of training soon afterwards. In Karnataka, training a calf led to its death in 2001. In Chattisgarh, a captured elephant died in 2004, such was the outcry that the practice was discontinued by the Indian Government. There are videos and reports of wild elephant training - both of calves and adults - if seen will send one into bouts of horror and tears. The animals are brutalised to the point of physical and mental collapse and the violent beatings by sticks, spears and the ankush causes such damage that many do not survive the process. The few who do, always carry a great scar and can be dangerous to man and mahout. The human-elephant conflict is growing, and there are many other measures which can be put into place. In this incident, a strategy to discourage the number of brews in the Podiyakkala Kani tribal settlement range that are attracting wild elephants would greatly benefit. The elephants can be released in the larger landscape of the Periyar- Agasthyamalai. So why then do we allow the death of elephants through torture?In the name of tradition? In the name of the Ministry of Wildlife & Forests? In the name of the Circus? It is time these practices of elephant torture - both obsolete and illegal- are dealt with in the manner they deserve. AMALA AKKINENI On 10/11/06, debasischak <debasischak wrote: > > > 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.> > For more information on Asian animal issues, please use the search feature > on the AAPN website: http://www.aapn.org/ or search the list archives at: > aapn > Please feel free to send any relevant news or comments to the list at > aapn > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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