India's elephants at risk amid possible legal reform

By Shuriah Niazi

NEW DELHI (AA) - Elephants in India may be at risk, activists warn, worried that a wildlife protection bill tabled in parliament last year could lead to the beasts' further exploitation by legalizing their commercial trade.

Even as World Wildlife Day is marked worldwide on Thursday, activists in India fear that the Wildlife Protection Amendment Bill, 2021, could prove disastrous for elephants.

Last year, animal rights group PETA came to the rescue of Lakshmi, a female elephant being used for begging on the streets of Chhatarpur in central state of Madhya Pradesh. PETA India launched a campaign with the support of local activists and volunteers to rescue her as she was in dire need of veterinary care, along with food and water.

Forced to walk on hot tar and left hungry and thirsty for extended periods, Lakshmi’s bones were clearly visible under her skin with PETA India dubbing her the "skinniest elephant in India."

The group's chief advocacy officer, Khushboo Gupta, told Anadolu Agency that PETA India submitted its grave concerns on the provisions in the bill that he said would encourage the cruel captivity of wild elephants in the country, as well as allow the killing of certain wild animals considered "vermin."

"The severe confinement and lack of control over their lives causes the captive elephants extreme mental distress. Many of them display abnormal behavior as a result, like constant swaying or head bobbing," said Khushboo, citing one figure that frustrated captive elephants killed 526 people in 15 years in just one Indian state."

According to data from PETA India, there are around 3,500 captive elephants in the South Asian country being used for spectacles and attractions like rides, circuses, films, festivals, and weddings. Others are chained in temples.

They are separated from their families and beaten into submission, denied proper veterinary care, commonly starved and dehydrated, forced to stand in their own waste for hours on end, and shackled in place when they are not in use.

"Captive elephants have also been observed to be suffering from visual impairment, swollen joints, gangrene, ears torn by weapons, foot rot, cracked nails, and obesity as a result of being chained for as long as 22 hours a day," said Khushboo.

- Corporate pressure

Wildlife activist Ajay Dubey noted that the commercial trade of elephants had been banned when the Wildlife Protection Act came into force in 1972.

If it is once again allowed by law, one can only imagine how they would be treated by people, he worried.

"The bill to allow the commercial trade of elephants was introduced in parliament under pressure from Reliance, country's leading corporate house," alleged Ajay Dubey, referring to the Mumbai-based conglomerate.

He told Anadolu Agency: "The decision to allow the trade of elephants is sad. This amendment will definitely help collect elephants from across the country in Reliance's private zoo. The inclination of the Union Forest Ministry towards Reliance's Jamnagar Zoo is visible."

Reliance Industries is building a massive zoo in the city of Jamnagar in Gujarat, that will be one of the world's largest in terms of the number and animal species. The project's development is being overseen by Anant Ambani, the younger son of Reliance Industries' chairman and managing director, Mukesh Ambani.

Parliament has formed a committee to examine the proposed amendment and receive suggestions from the public.

The chairman of the committee, Jairam Ramesh, also a former environment minister, has alleged that the controversial bill was not based on widespread consultation and that it was poorly drafted, suffering from major shortcomings.