Elephant Polo?? Mother knows best

[Guest guest]

Should Elephants be engaged to play Polo?

 

Certainly Not !

 

World's most renowned authority on elephants Dr. Dame Daphne Sheldrick, DBE

MBE MBS DVMS, who has spent a lifetime playing surrogate mother to hundreds

of orphaned elephants and has successfully hand reared them from unfortunate

orphans to handsome adults back to the wild has once again called upon the

organisers of 'Elephant Polo' to end the CIRCUS.

 

When the mother says it is WRONG, it has to be WRONG !

 

May I call upon all those who have stood 'United against Elephant Polo' to

once again join Dr. Daphne and write letters of protest to the organisers

and the Animal Welfare Board of India so that the proposed 'Elephant Polo'

events scheduled for March' 10th in Rajasthan state can be stopped.

 

And also to the organisers of the King's Cup Elephant Polo Tournament,

scheduled to take place from March 23 to March 29 in the northernmost region

of Thailand.

 

I have attached Dr. Daphne's letter to the authorities for your reference.

 

Also please mark a cc to me so that the website:

http://www.stopelephantpolo.com can be updated.

 

Thanking you.

 

regards,

 

Azam Siddiqui

 

 

P.S. See the links for more info:

 

On Rajasthan (Indian) Elephant Polo:

http://www.rajasthantravelguide.com/rajasthan_fair_festivals/elephant_festival.h\

tml

http://www.rajasthan-tourism.org/festivals-of-rajasthan/rajasthan-elephant-festi\

val.html

 

On Thailand Elephant Polo:

http://www.ftnnews.com/content/view/4750/26/lang,english/

 

 

Contacts you can write to:

 

Indian Authorities:

 

1. Mr. Ashok Gehlot, Chief Minister, Rajasthan

(Please follow the web link below):

http://www.rajasthan.gov.in/rajgovt/misc/reachthegovt.html

 

2. The Animal Welfare Board of India

(Please follow the web link below):

http://www.awbi.org/contact.htm

or email them at:

" awbi " <awbi, AWBI " <secretary.awbi, " Consultant

Editor, AWBI " <editor.awbi,

Tel: +91 44 224454958, 224454330

Fax: +91 44 224454958

http://www.awbi.org

 

Thailand authorities:

 

The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT)

Address : 1600 New Phetburi Road, Makkasan, Rajatevee, Bangkok 10310

Tel : +66 2250 5500 (120 automatic lines

Fax : +66 2250 5511 ( 2 automatic lines)

Email Address : center

http://www.tourismthailand.org

 

___________________________

 

 

Attached Letter of protest from Dr. Daphne Sheldrick dated: February 26,

2009 :

 

I have worked with elephants for over 50 years of my life, and am regarded

world-wide as an authority on these animals, having reared from early

infancy over 95 of their orphaned young, watched these orphans heal, grow

into adulthood, and eventually return to where they rightly belong, in a

Protected Area large enough to offer them the space an elephant needs for

quality of life in wild terms. Thereafter, the human " family " that

replaced the orphans' lost elephant one, and who reared them only with

compassion, care and kindness and therefore remain trusted and loved, have

been rewarded when their erstwhile charges choose to bring back their

wild-born young to show their human Carers. Details of my work can be

viewed on www.sheldrickwildlifetrust.org

 

As someone who has always respected India's compassion for animals, it seems

inconceivable that the authorities still condone Elephant Polo, and allow

the organizers of such events to fool the world that Indian captive

Elephants actually enjoy being forced to take part in such activities,

despite hard evidence to the contrary. As I am sure you know, not long ago

a Polo Playing Elephant in Sri Lanka went berserk, injuring people and

causing damage to a vehicle. Such anger can hardly signify enjoyment. It

signifies a revolt against cruelty and abuse, and it is now time that all

caring people also revolted against such cruelty and abuse, especially in

this, the 21st Century, when so much more is known about the sophistication

and very human traits of Elephants.

 

Elephants are not designed to play polo and nor should they. All who

support this cruel activity contribute to un-necessary suffering of animals

that have already suffered enormously from the brutal training techniques

they endure which no sane person can call humane. I speak with authority

about what elephants like and dislike, for I know them probably better than

most, having observed them daily for over 50 years through newborn into

adulthood as well as studying their wild kin in the wild situation. My

late husband being the founder of Warden of Kenya's Tsavo National Park

which harbours Kenya's largest single wild elephant population and we lived

there for 30 years)

 

As the authority in Rajasthan, I do hope that you will urge the organizers

of Elephant Polo to abandon their plans to host yet another barbaric event

in March this year, which will certainly impact negatively on the record of

India as a caring and Animal Loving Nation.

 

 

Dr. Dame Daphne Sheldrick, DBE MBE MBS DVMS

 

UNEP 1992 Global Laureate

 

2000 BBC Lifetime Achievement Award

 

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http://www.stopelephantpolo.com

http://www.freewebs.com/azamsiddiqui