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CHENNAI, INDIA, June 11, 2003: Another complaint of a cow elephant being forced to seek alms in Red Hills, on the northern fringes of the city, was reported on Wednesday. The animal was rescued and housed safely in the People for Animals (PfA) shelter at Red Hills. The mahout accompanying the elephant was unable to show ownership papers for the pachyderm. Instead, he showed an expired “Transit Permit” issued by the Wildlife authorities of Nagapattinam which mentioned that the animal was being brought to Red Hills for a temple festival and a marriage. The permit also clearly stated that the animal should not be used for seeking alms. The mahout used the animal to beg on the road, the activists charged. It was not only the seeking of alms which disturbed the activists, but also the animal’s poor condition. Though Asiatic elephants are a threatened species and are carefully nurtured in the wild, the Forest Department is yet to strengthen protection for the elephants in captivity, especially in urban areas where they are often subjected to severe cruelty.

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