Elephant 'Malti' transferred from Amber to Vantara elephant sanctuary

Jaipur: Following a recommendation by a High-Powered Committee (HPC) of Supreme Court, an elephant has been transferred from Jaipur's Amber to Vantara elephant sanctuary in Jamnagar, Gujarat due to deteriorating physical and mental health.

The recommendation was based on an independent veterinary expert assessment commissioned by the HPC as a result of a complaint filed by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India citing the elephant's deteriorating physical and mental health.

The elephant, Malti, was recently shifted to the wildlife sanctuary in Jamnagar.

The decision to transfer Malti was supported by an opinion signed by 120 veterinarians confirming reports that the elephant “exhibited behaviour such as repetitively swaying and bobbing her head”, a statement by PETA said.

Malti was used for tourist rides at Amer Fort despite having a history of running amok and fighting with other elephants, PETA said.In 2017, the elephant was “violently beaten by eight men” at Amber Fort and in 2019, it was “verbally abused and hit with sticks”, PETA said.

PETA India had also called for her to be rescued at the local magistrate’s court.

"At Amber Fort, elephants like Malti are controlled with weapons, chained when not being used for rides, and psychologically scarred from being forced to carry tourists," Khushboo Gupta, Director of Advocacy Projects, PETA India said.

"Frustrated elephants often lash out, and just recently, Gouri, another elephant there, broke a tourist's leg," she said, while expressing gratitude to the Government of Rajasthan for sending Malti to a sanctuary.

She also called for replacing elephants used for rides at Amber Fort with electric cars.

"Malti was used for rides, putting tourists at risk, even though the Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI) recorded her as 'anxious'. In 2018, an AWBI report further noted that her ownership certificate was invalid and that her welfare was compromised," she claimed.