Central Government Committee Recommends Replacing Elephant Rides With Electric Vehicles at Amer Fort
A new inspection report from the committee constituted by the Project Elephant Division of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, per a 6 March 2020 order of the Supreme Court of India, incorporates recommendations made by PETA India. It seeks to phase out elephant rides by replacing them with electric or battery-operated vehicles at Amer Fort, citing aging elephants and tourists’ declining preference for elephant rides. The committee’s recommendations include refraining from using elephants with irreparable eye problems for rides and banning any new additions of elephants for rides.
This was one of our top tweets in 2020 ?
Join us in putting an end to the abuse of elephants used for rides in Jaipur. https://t.co/lzvHWmUht0
— PETA India (@PetaIndia) December 29, 2020
The court’s order to appoint a committee was based on concerns about cruelty to elephants and the apparently illegal use of them for rides and other activities at Amer Fort and the Elephant Village in Jaipur. These issues had been raised by PETA India, an intervener in the matter, and by the petitioner, the Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre. The court also granted our request that our representative be included on the committee.
The committee’s report notes that of the 98 captive elephants inspected, 22 suffered from irreversible eye problems and 42 had foot problems, including overgrown nails and flat footpads from walking on concrete roads. Three elephants who tested positive for tuberculosis (TB) – a potentially fatal zoonotic disease of public health concern – in tests carried out by the committee had also been found to be reactive for TB in tests conducted by the Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI) in 2018. This refuted claims made by the Rajasthan Forest Department that no elephants in the state had TB. In its report, the committee recommended that elephants and mahouts be screened for TB twice a year.
A previous AWBI inspection report on captive elephants in Jaipur revealed numerous apparent violations of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. Many elephants displayed stereotypical behaviour patterns indicating severe mental anguish, such as repetitive swaying and head-bobbing, and all those examined were seen carrying loads heavier than 200 kilograms, which is the legal maximum for elephants on hilly terrain such as that at Amer Fort.
