Kerala - Palakkad   

‘Torture led to elephant death'

PALAKKAD: The Elephant Lovers' Association has filed a complaint with the Principal Chief Conservator of Forest and Wildlife Department T.M. Manoharan against the alleged torture resulting in the death of captive elephant Chethaloor Mahadevan at Mannarkad on Wednesday.

The 38-year-old elephant, one of the five elephants kept by a person of Mannarkad, died allegedly due to ill-treatment, over-work and lack of food and rest.

This elephant had run amuck in Palakkad and Thrissur several times during the last three years. On November 14, 2008 it collapsed at Thrissur due to dehydration. Then a case was booked against the owner.

But to evade action the owner had shifted the elephant to other forest ranges.

Association secretary V.K. Venkitachalam has said that the elephant was not keeping well for the last two years and appeared weak.

Despite that it was continuously used for parades under the scorching sun in Thrissur, Palakkad, Malappuram and Ernakulam in the current festival season.

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