Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram   

Owners ill-treating animals at tourist spots in district

SUFFERING SILENTLY: An injured horse used to offer rides to tourists on the Shanghumughom beach.

Thiruvananthapuram: Lack of coordination among various departments responsible for the welfare of captive animals is preventing the authorities from checking cruelty meted out to animals that are brought to major tourist destinations and pilgrim centres in the State in the name of entertaining the visitors.

With tourist season picking up, animal lovers say emaciated horses, ponies and mules can be spotted in major beach destinations of the State. In the crowded Shanghumughom and Pozhikkara beaches, emaciated horses, which gasp for breath after a long tiring run for entertaining the holiday makers, are a regular sight.

Most of the horses have injuries and bruises on their legs reportedly occurred owing to the brutality inflicted on them by the owners. Animal lovers say the skinny appearance of the horses point to the fact that they were not being fed for days. Despite laws, animals suffer for the sake of human entertainment. They are beaten or starved until they learn to perform. The animals are confined to small cages and deprived of all that is natural to them.

The closing down of office of Society for Prevention of Cruelty against Animals (SPCA) here has also come as a set back for animal lovers. People are at a loss about whom to approach for lodging complaints on animal cruelty. The two employees, including a Livestock Inspector, of the SPCA are attached to the district panchayat.

Project officer, WWF-India, Kerala, A. Sreejith, who happened to see the plight of the horses at Shanghumughom said he had taken up the matter with the district panchayat authorities.

Even though most of the animal abuse takes place at tourism spots and pilgrim centres in the State, it has been pointed out that neither the authorities of the Kerala Tourism nor Devaswom Board take any initiative to educate the animal owners. According to Mr. Sreejith, awareness programmes should be worked out for the animal owners, care takers and line officials to prevent animal abuse and man-animal conflict.

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