Kerala - Kozhikode   

`Need for awareness of elephant welfare squad'

Staff Reporter

KOZHIKODE: It is necessary for the public to be aware of the existence of an elephant welfare squad in the district whose assistance can be sought in any eventuality, District Animal Husbandry Officer Mathew Jacob has said.

Owners of elephants or those who hire the animals for functions such as temple festivals should follow the stipulated guidelines while featuring elephants in such programmes, he said.

"A four-member elephant welfare squad was set up in the district two months ago with four veterinarians. The setting up of the squad was also brought to the notice of the public twice through the media.

"The awareness assumes relevance with the onset of the festival season in temples.

However, the incident at Koyilandy a few weeks ago when an elephant ran amok and a veterinarian had to be brought from elsewhere to tame the animal was evidence that the local people were not making use of the facilities available in the district," he said.

The squad was set up as per a circular issued by the Government.

Such squads exist in a majority of districts.

It was set up only recently in Kozhikode as there are not many elephant owners here.

The squad comprises Arun Zacharia (Nadapuram district hospital); Sneharaj (veterinary surgeon, Polyclinic, Vadakara); Arun Satyan (Veterinary department) and Rajeev (mobile veterinary dispensary, District Veterinary Centre, Kozhikode).

Procedures

Dr. Jacob said the nearest Government veterinary doctor should be informed when an elephant is being featured in a programme and a fitness certificate stating that the animal is not in `musth' or has any other problem should be procured.

The stipulations regarding the distance between two animals present at a festival also have to be maintained.

He said there were not many programmes in the district in which elephants were featured and hence the need for the squad had not arisen.

The squad at present does not have the special type of tranquilliser gun needed to fire shots to tame elephants running amok.

However, the Tamarassery Forest Range office would provide the gun in its possession in case of an eventuality, he said.

"Considering the fact that hiring elephants is a lucrative business, the animals are often not given adequate rest. They are taken from one festival to another on foot. Often, the animals have to face harassment from drunken mahouts, resulting in them going amok," he said.

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