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ASSAM, INDIA, March 5, 2004: The plight of captive elephants in the north-eastern state of Assam is a sad one. Before 1996, elephants could work in the timber industry and earn US$900 to $1,000 a month. A 1996 court ruling limiting the felling of trees for the logging industry has left most captive elephants out of work. Of the estimated 2,500 captive pachyderms only a few are still employed in the logging industry. Others are used in temple processions, for forest patrols, and some in the tourist industry giving rides to tourists. Most are unemployed and their owners are forced to seek methods to keep the elephants. This has led some owners to take their elephants to the streets where they beg for money from drivers and passengers. Rudra Baishya, a owner of two elephants, says, “Until recently owning elephants was like being a king. Now keeping one elephant has become a real burden.” The article says, “Asian elephants consume some 250 kilograms or more of feed a day to support their huge bulk and in captivity have greater life spans than in the wild — living 60 to 70 years, or even longer. Veterinary specialists say the overall health of captive elephants in the region is deteriorating as a result of the drop in their earning power.” Kushal Konwar Sarma, a veterinary college professor, says, “Lack of work and poor nutrition have resulted in some captive elephants displaying disturbing and sometimes dangerous behavior. Releasing the elephants into the jungle is not the answer as they have lost their wild instincts and cannot survive on their own.”

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