2 Monsoon 2010 Beauty Without Cruelty

Elephant : by reducing them to pathetic to use attendance fees to shadows of their former regal bolster, and raise awareness conservation activity selves. Elephant polo is currently of, conservation efforts — or animal abuse? played principally in , Sri but there is no evidence Lanka, Thailand and . that wild animals performing By Shubhobroto Ghosh frivolous tricks sensitises the The game is sought out in masses to conservation efforts. re animals meant to Rajasthan because foreign To make matters worse, several entertain rich folks as tourists patronise it. This of the elephants used in Jaipur’s A they guzzle champagne has been going on there for polo matches are without valid and caviar? That appears more than 30 years, climaxing certifi cates, or with forged to be the motive behind the on November 18 2006, when a certifi cates. The animals have organization of elephant polo high-profi le elephant polo match probably been illegally procured games. Though a form of was organised in Jaipur. from Assam and traded in elephant polo was fi rst played violation of the Wildlife Rajasthan is not a natural in India at the beginning of Protection Act 1972, which elephant-range state. Some of the 20th century, the modern lists elephants as a Schedule its captive elephants are the form of the game originated in I species to be accorded the descendants of those used by Meghauli, Nepal — reportedly highest level of protection in its royal families decades ago. after a drinking bout. Nepal’s the country. Temperatures are usually “Tiger Tops” resort remains the too high in Rajasthan to be Regardless of whether the headquarters of elephant polo’s conducive to elephant welfare. elephants used in polo matches merry men, and the site of the are treated “World Elephant Polo humanely or not, Championships.” The game is sought out in Rajasthan because foreign tourists patronise it. elephant experts have argued that Elephants are gregarious these animals are creatures that walk miles The animals have been reported being unnecessarily dragged every day in search of food and to suffer from tuberculosis, into a spectacle that should opportunities to socialise with opacity of the eyes, gaping not be organized at all. One their own kind in their natural wounds on the body, massive of the world’s leading wildlife habitat. The (illegal) process of foot problems and a host of rehabilitators, who has hand- capturing these sensitive, gentle other diseases that make their reared more than 75 baby creatures is a brutal and cruel lives miserable. They are also African elephants, describes this one, documented by several used to transport tourists at game as insensitive and cruel. videos and fi lms. Calves are Amber Fort in the scorching Another expert who has studied separated from their families sun, and are treated badly by African Elephants several and beaten mercilessly till their handlers. Handlers use decades in Amboseli National their spirits are broken and ankushes, or metal prods, to Park, Kenya, has also expressed they accede to their captors’ exert control and dominance her opposition to the sport. demands. Many animals, adult over them. and young, die in this process. Criticism has poured in from Starvation and the use of There is a consensus among luminaries in the animal rights, red-hot iron rods to tame the international elephant specialists animal welfare and conservation unfortunate creatures are but a and wildlife experts about fi elds. Virginia McKenna, a part of this induction. the pointlessness of making former president of Beauty these hapless creatures play Without Cruelty International Some sections of society deem a game intended for human and an eloquent elephant welfare it acceptable to use these benefi t. Some organisers of campaigner for at least 25 years, giants for their entertainment elephant polo matches seek has repeatedly appealed to the Beauty Without Cruelty Monsoon 2010 3 organisers of this sport to stop activity is not of signifi cant activists. Decades of research it in India and neighbouring welfare or conservation concern, by leading elephant experts countries. its opponents have stated that have established that elephants the game is inherently cruel and are capable of experiencing the Many Indian groups and counterproductive, especially same emotions as humans. In activists have expressed their if conducted in the name of the light of all that has been opposition too. A website conservation; it fuels the illegal written here, and in the website has been developed at www. trade in this endangered species. mentioned, it is suggested this stopelephantpolo.com to raise The elephants of Rajasthan activity be examined to prevent societal awareness of the deserve better than to be treated unnecessary abuse of the futility of using wild animals wonderful, amazing pachyderms as mere curios in a state that has in this game, no matter what whose real abode is the verdant much to offer in the form of the intention. greenery of the jungles. cultural and historical heritage The elephant polo issue has and pageantry. E been the centre of debate on Shubhobroto Ghosh is the electronic list of the Hong The sensitive nature of a BWC member. The views Kong-based Asian Animal elephants is not a fi gment of the expressed in this article are Protection Network. While the imagination of so-called “bunny his own, conveyed as an game’s supporters claim this huggers” and animal rights individual.

Elephant Suffering

The Animal Welfare Board of India, Help In Suffering of Jaipur, and Elephant Family of the U.K. did not give a thought to the basic exploitation of elephants. Instead, they organised a Cartier-sponsored elephant polo event at Jaipur. Although the use of the ankush was forbidden, the event drew considerable fl ak from many international animal rights and wildlife groups.

Snehal Bhatt of the Gujarat SPCA says the pictures taken by them in Nepal (below), where baby elephants were beaten so badly were especially disturbing: "They show how the polo sticks whack the elephants' trunks when they miss the ball. The trunk is very sensitive, and supposed to be animal's nose. They screamed in pain. At Jaipur, I and other activists were detained and no one was allowed inside. My husband had to take pictures from outside the grounds, so some of the photos (above) were blurred.” Photos courtesy: Rajesh Bhavsar, GSPCA