Captive elephants continue to be denied free food grains promised during the COVID-19 lockdown period even as the State mourns the killing of a pregnant wild elephant.
The State government could not so far fulfil the promise to deliver food grains at the door steps of elephant owners though the lockdown has entered its fifth phase. The proposal was to give food grains worth ₹400 for 40 days for each animal. The Department of Animal Husbandry was entrusted with the task of providing the food for elephants along with domestic animals during the lockdown and ₹5 crore was allotted for the purpose. The Forest Department had also drawn up a list of 255 elephants eligible for the assistance.
“Though the elephant owners were offered food grains, it has not materialised so far,” said P.S. Raveendranath, an owner of two elephants.
With no revenue during the lockdown period, the management of animals has turned out to be a prohibitively expensive affair. It requires at least ₹4,000 a day to maintain an elephant, which feeds on 25 palm fronds and significant quantities of rice, flattened rice and other food stuff every day. The salary of the two mahouts too adds up to the expense, said Mr. Ravindranath.
Elephants need to be fed on time and now it is time to provide them rest and medical treatment. Yet, the promised food has not arrived, said K.S. Sreejith, who manages a few elephants. Each day, an elephant would be fed around 4 kg cooked rice, 2 kg green gram and one kg onions, besides the palm fronds, he said.
At the same time, a few animal rights activists have opposed the proposal and pointed out that captive elephants cannot be bracketed along with domestic animals. Captive elephants were wild animals covered under the Wildlife Protection Act 1972 and its owners were legally bound to provide them food, said M. N. Jayachandran, member, Animal Welfare Board. Any failure to meet the legal obligations would be an offence, he said.
C. Madhu, Director, Department of Animal Husbandry, hoped that the supply of food grains would begin within a fortnight. Committees with representatives of the department, the Forest Department and elephant owners were formed in all the districts and the suppliers of food grains identified. Food materials as fixed by the authorities would be distributed shortly, he said.
