The video of the Srivilliputhur temple elephant being tied up and tortured at Coimbatore Mettupalayam Elephant Refreshment Camp has gone viral. The Elephants’ Rejuvenation Camp at the Thekkampatti Bhavani River has been going on since 8th February. During the 48-day camp, the objective was to alleviate the physical and mental problems of elephants in temples and monasteries.
Meanwhile, a video has been released of Srivilliputhur temple elephant Jaimalyada being beaten and tortured by two mahouts with a chain tied to a tree. The sight of the elephant throbbing in pain has greatly disturbed viewers, with some of them calling it a torture camp and not a rejuvenation camp. Animal welfare activists have questioned the incident recorded in this video and have demanded justice. They claimed that such cruelty to elephants occurs every year and this time it has come to light through the viral video.
Demands are mounting from various quarters to take action against the mahouts involved under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act and to immediately investigate the frequency of such incidents in elephant camps.
The district forest officer promised to investigate the incident shown in the video and take appropriate action. Meanwhile, the forest department has arrested 2 suspended mahouts and is investigating the incident in which the temple elephant was tortured.
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