“India’s captive elephants will soon be able to live out their twilight years at a retirement home in the southern state of Kerala where there will be an abundance of good food, the company of other tuskers and professional veterinary care.” - The National Newspaper
“Concerned about the increasing incidents of captive elephants turning violent in Kerala, Mumbai-based Zachariah Mathew has developed a new device to rein in animals that run amok. “I was deeply disturbed when I heard that an elephant turned violent and trampled three people to death at a temple festival in Thrissur earlier this month. In a matter of few days, I designed a nylon belt fitted with a remote controlled device that could lock the legs of the elephant by the press of a button,” Mathew, managing director of Mumbai-based Senzo Engineering, told reporters here Saturday.”- Thaindian News
“Sangduen “Lek” Chailert plays with ex-working elephants at her rescue centre for domesticated elephants in Chiang Mai, northern Thailand on November 19. 2007. Elephant conservationists such as Chailert worry that captive elephants, considered beasts of burden in Thailand, have little protection from abuse if their owners work them all day to bring in more tourist dollars.” - china.org
“The National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (NSPCA) is considering legal steps over proposed norms and standards for managing the elephant population being formulated by the Environmental Affairs and Tourism Department.” - Mail & Guardian Online
“Assam along with Bihar and Kerala have asked the Ministry of Environment and Forest to relax the prohibition on sale of elephants by amending the Wildlife Protection Act 1972. According to provisions of the Act, transfer of elephants by way of it or by other mode of consideration of commercial nature is prohibited. It is estimated that number of captive elephants in the country is between 3400-3600, Union Minister of State for Environment and Forest, S Reghupathy said.
” - The Assam Tribune Online
“A little late maybe, but Dispur has finally woken up to the plight of captive elephants in the state.” - The Telegraph
“Aged captive elephants and those in distress may get some relief if the ambitious programme for elephant rehabilitation centres materialises.” - The Hindu
It is fairly common in parts of Asia to encounter elephants in captivity. Note that the term used is “elephants in captivity”, not “domesticated elephants”. One typically finds elephants involved in strange situations: caparisoned and leading religious processions, moving heavy loads like tree trunks in forest camps, and playing football or riding bicycles in circuses. But these large, powerful and intelligent animals do not indulge in these alien activities of their own volition or for love of the mahout. They have been overpowered through the use of fetters, the ankus, other elephants and possibly starvation. - The Hindu
“Captive elephants used as labour, for joyrides and ceremonial occasions in the southern Indian state of Kerala would retire at the age of 65, news reports said yesterday.” - The Mercury
“If pedantics have their way, captive elephants in Kerala would soon be deprived of their sex life. Citing ancient scriptures pertaining to elephant care, a handful of elephant lovers at least think that breeding elephants would spell doom for its owners.” - DNA - India
“An expert committee constituted by the Centre, that was studying the status of captive elephants across the country, has issued radical new directions to help forest officials keep track of such pachyderms.” - The Times of India
