After jumbo death in fire accident, activists demand phasing out of live elephants in Tamil Nadu temples

Chennai: After a 54-year-old female elephant in a temple in Sivaganga district succumbed to burn injuries sustained from a roof fire, a group of activists have written to the Tamil Nadu government seeking an urgent plan to phase out live elephants in temples, and retire all existing elephants in natural facilities. 

Subbulakshmi, the elephant at the Shri Shanmuganatha Peruman Temple in Kundrakudi succumbed to burn injuries, being unable to escape the flames as she was chained to a pole in a small enclosure.

“While the fire may very well have been an accident, her death was wholly avoidable as real elephants are not required in temples, whereas they are necessary in jungles for a healthy ecosystem,” the activists wrote in their letter addressed to Forest Minister M Madhiventhan and HR & CE minister P K Sekarbabu. 

The activists demanded registration of a preliminary offence report for breach of sections 9 read with Section 2(16) of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 (WPA) for causing the death of a captive animal and Section 42 for failing to ensure adequate facilities for care and upkeep of the elephant, and Section 51 of the WPA. 

 “Her death due to chaining in captivity and negligence and thus a complete disregard to her basic welfare and safety amounts to cognizable offences under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (PCA) Act, 1960 and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023,” the activists said, adding that they had petitioned authorities about the poor physical and mental health of Subbulakshmi. 

The insistence on keeping her at a temple, which is a place of worship with priests and devotees and not a wildlife sanctuary with veterinarians and wildlife experts, eventually led to her cruel death, the activists said. 

They also demanded immediate suspension of Entry of any new captive elephants into Tamil Nadu and focus on phasing out and rehabilitating the elephants already present in Tamil Nadu in facilities where they can live unchained, be handled without weapons, and live in the company of other elephants.

 “Finally, the TN Forest and HR&CE departments must commit to an urgent plan to phase out live elephants in temples, retire all existing elephants in natural facilities as described in the point above and move towards the bright, cruelty, torture and incident free future of using robotic elephants9 or other non-animal means,” they added.