Guwahati: Over 50 veterinarians from across India have issued a formal veterinary opinion, calling for the immediate relocation of the abused female elephant from Assam, Joymala, to a suitable sanctuary.
The opinion, compiled after extensive review of video and documentary evidence, will be submitted to authorities in both Assam and Tamil Nadu by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India.
The veterinarians, expressing grave concern for Joymala’s well-being, have determined that the approximately 22-year-old elephant has suffered prolonged mental and physical distress.
“The reports demonstrate Joymala is often kept on concrete, chained most of the time, and that
she has suffered foot problems. Elephants who are kept chained in place and forced to live on
hard packed dirt or concrete often have thin, uneven, and bruised foot pads and cracked nails,
leading to infection and osteomyelitis,” they stated.
The veterinarians added, “Recent videos uploaded to the internet by devotees show that mahouts continue to threaten Joymala with ankushes, which may lead to retaliation by her anytime just like the recent case of a similar frustrated elephant named Deivanani in Tamil Nadu who trampled a mahout and his relative to death inside the temple premises.”
They assert that Joymala, currently held in the illegal private custody of Arulmigu Nachiyar (Andal) Temple in Srivilliputhur, Virudhunagar district, Tamil Nadu, poses a potential danger due to the trauma she has endured.
They strongly advocate for Joymala’s immediate transfer to a sanctuary or rehabilitation centre where she can live unchained, free from weapons, and in the company of other elephants. PETA India, spearheading the initiative, aims to bring attention to the elephant’s plight and ensure her swift relocation to a safe and nurturing environment.
Since 2021, the media has reported on numerous instances in which Joymala was severely beaten by different mahouts, leading Assam to demand her return.
An inspection in 2022 at the Krishnan Kovil temple, where Joymala is kept, revealed that the cruelty to the elephant is so routine that her mahout used pliers to painfully twist her skin to control her even in front of PETA India inspectors.
For nearly a decade, Joymala, an elephant leased from Assam, has allegedly been held illegally by the Arulmigu Nachiyar (Andal) Temple in Srivilliputhur, Tamil Nadu.
The Assam government had moved the Gauhati High Court in September 2022 to get Joymala released as she was only temporarily leased out from Assam to the Tamil Nadu temple in 2011, and has been under the temple’s custody even after the lapse of the lease period.
Following an application filed by PETA India urging that the decision regarding Joymala’s custody be made with her best interests in mind, the Gauhati High Court allowed PETA India to intervene in this case.
PETA India has also cautioned that Joymala’s ongoing abuse and poor treatment will make her extremely unpredictable, putting her mahouts and devotees’ lives at absolute risk.
To promote animal welfare, PETA India calls for the replacement of live elephants with lifelike mechanical elephants or other suitable alternatives at all venues and events.
Across South India, fifteen temples now use mechanical elephants during events and ceremonies, with nine donated by PETA India. These replicas allow for safe and cruelty-free ceremonies, ensuring real elephants remain in their natural habitats.
