Safety guidelines for captive elephants issued

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: As a strict measure to check attacks by captive elephants during festival processions, the State Government has issued an order banning ‘booze parties’ to mahouts by the festival committees. The order from the Forest and Wildlife Department strictly prohibits the members of the festival committee from serving any kind of intoxicating materials to the mahouts. It says, “no  intoxicated mahout shall accompany the elephants.” This forms the highlight of the nearly 30 guidelines issued by the State Government.Alcoholism is pointed out as one of the serious problems found among the mahouts. “Most of the mahouts are intoxicated while controlling the elephants, as many of them are afraid to go near the jumbos in a conscious state and hence end up using cannabis. And the police most often fail to check this menace,” alleges V K Venkatachalam, secretary, Heritage Animal Task Force.The tendency to start new ‘poorams’ and increasing the number of elephants in the existing ‘poorams’ should be discouraged.The order also states that a district-level committee should be formed with District Collector, Police Superintendent, District Forest officer, Devaswom Board member, representatives of Kerala Elephant Owners Federation, Kerala festival coordination committee and Elephant Workers Organisation for regulating the matters related to festivals.This committee should meet prior to the festival season and initiate steps to ensure the welfare of the elephants and security of  the public. The order prevents the use of any elephant in musth, an elephant that is injured, weary or pregnant in processions.It also warns against making elephants stand in the sun for a long time or being presented for more than three hours. No fireworks should be displayed near the elephants and no ‘fire light’ (Theevetti) should be placed close to the jumbos.It also states that, elephants must be given proper food, water and rest during the festival time and should take steps to avoid their feet from getting too hot. The order advises that it can be done by placing wet jute sacks and providing pandals.