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THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, KERALA, July 24, 2003: Taking a serious note of growing cruelty towards captive elephants and their violent reaction to human captors, the Kerala Government has issued norms for their upkeep which, among other things, insists that the tamed elephants should be retired from working at the age of 65.



The set of rules issued recently had clear-cut norms for their menu, healthcare, working conditions and qualifications for mahouts, according to a reply furnished in the Assembly by Forest Minister K. Sudharakaran. With quite a few cases of harassed tuskers running berserk and goring mahouts to death being reported, the owners had been asked to appoint mahouts with a minimum of three years experience, with an assistant to help. There should be periodical check-up of elephants by vets, and the mahouts should carry the fitness certificates while the elephants were being taken out. No elephant should be marched for more that 30 km a day, and during the night reflectors should be kept on them to avoid being knocked down by vehicles. They should not be made to work at times of masth and bathed at least once every day. Use of nylon leash or barbed iron chains is banned.

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