Captive Elephants in India Ecology, Management and Welfare Captive Elephants in India Ecology, Management and Welfare Surendra Varma* With inputs from** S.R. Sujata, Suparna Ganguly, Shiela Rao, George Verghese, David Abraham, Rajendra Hasbhavi, Mahesh Agarwal, Kushal Konwar, Sarma, Snehal Bhavsar, P. Anur Reddy, N. Kalaivanan, T. Rajamanickam, M.C. Sathyanarayana, R. Thirumurugan, S. Thangaraj Panneerslevam, N.S. Manoharan,V. Shankaralingam, D. Boominathan, N. Mohanraj, E.K. Eswaran, T.S. Rajeev, Nibha Namboodiri, Marshal.C.Radhakrishnan, Nilesh Bhanage, Sandeep K Jain, Madhulal Valliyatte and Naveen Pandey Reviewers SS. Bist, Former Project Elephant Director, Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) Government of India, Gay Bradshaw, Executive Director, The Kerulos Center, USA, Helena Telkänranta, Researcher, University of Helsinki, Finland, Late Dr. Fred Kurt, Former member IUCN/SSC Asian Specialist Group The study on Captive elephants in India was commissioned by Compassion unlimited plus action (CUPA) and technically supported by the Asian Nature Conservation Foundation (ANCF) *, **Details of the author and contributors are in pages 204 & 205 Published by Compassion Unlimited Plus Action (CUPA) Flat D, Ground Floor, Kensington Apartments 18/1 Ulsoor Main Road, Ulsoor-560 008 India www.cupabangalore.org In collaboration with Asian Nature Conservation Foundation (ANCF) C/o CES, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560 012 www.asiannature.org Title: Captive Elephants in India Author: Surendra Varma Copyright © 2015 CUPA/ANCF Suggested citation: S. Varma (2015) Captive Elephants in India: Ecology, Management and Welfare, Compassion Unlimited Plus Action (CUPA) and Asian Nature Conservation Foundation (ANCF), Bangalore, India. First limited Edition 2015 Published by CUBA and ANCF ISBN 978-81-909731-3-7 All rights reserved. Reproduction and dissemination of material in this publication for educational or non-commercial purposes is permitted without any prior permission from the copyright holders provided the source is fully acknowledged and appropriate credit is given. Reproduction of material in this information product for commercial purpose is permissible with written permission of the copyright holders. Application for such permission should be addressed to the publishers To order copy of this book; please write to Compassion Unlimited Plus Action (CUPA), Flat D, Ground Floor, Kensington Apartments 18/1 Ulsoor Main Road, Ulsoor-560 008 India [email protected] or Publications officer, Asian Nature Conservation Foundation (ANCF) C/o CES, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560 012 Email: [email protected] Dedicated to Prof. Fred Kurt Late Dr. (Prof.) Fred Kurt, Former member of the Asian Elephant Specialist Group of IUCN was a lecturer of Population Ecology and Conservation Biology at the University and the Pedagogic High School of Zurich, Switzerland, and at the University of Veterinary Science of Vienna, Austria. On behalf of IUCN, WWF International, UNDP, the Swiss National Foundation, the Smithsonian Institution of Washington and the Frankfurt Zoological Society, he carried out field studies on elephants and other large mammals in Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Morocco, Myanmar, Rwanda, Sri Lanka and Switzerland. Together with Dr. Marion Garai he published in 2007 the book "The Asian Elephant in Captivity" (Cambridge University Press, India). Field Investigators Andaman David Abhram, Mr Rajendra Hasbhavi, and Mr Surendra Varma Andhra Pradesh Mr. Mahesh Agarwal Assam Dr. Kushal Konwar Sarma, Bihar Mrs. Suparna Baksi-Ganguly, Dr. Shiela Rao, Dr. N.V. K. Ashraf, Mr. Balak Ray, Mr. Rambabu, Mr. Syed Iftekhar, Mr. Satyanarayan Ray, Mr. Pundeo Thakur, Mr. Fulgen Thakur, Mr. Ramdhayan Dube, Mr. Kapil dev Ray, Mr. Jawal Pd Singh, Mr. Praveen Ohal and Surendra Varma Gujarat Snehal Bhavsar Karnataka Mr Rajendra Hasbhavi, Mr Harish Bhat, Ms Shama Karkal, Ms Vydehi Kadur, Mr Daniel Sukumar, Ms Savitha Nagabhushan, Ms Deepika Prasad,Mr Karthik, Mr Ramesh Belagere, Mr G. Gurudutt, Ms Beena N., Mr Dilip Humcha, and Surendra Varma Kerala Dr. E.K. Eswaran, Ms. Nibha Namboodiri, Dr. T..S.Rajeev, Mr. R. Marshal Radhakrishan Mr. K.Rajesh, Mr. M. G. Ramesh, and Mr. Surendra Varma Maharastra Mr. Nilesh Bhanage, Ms. Anuradha Ramaswamy,Mr. Shivprasad Phadke,, Ms. Sonali Bagde andMr. Anil Kataria Punjab Dr. Sandeep K Jain, Mrs. Suparna Baksi-Ganguly andMr. Surendra Varma Rajasthan Dr. Madhulal Valliyatte and Mr Surendra Varma Tamil Nadu Dr. Sathyanarayana, M.C., Dr Sankaralingam, V, Dr. Kalaivanan, N, Dr. Thirumurugan, R. Dr. Manoharan, N.S., Mr. Pannerselvam T S, Mr. Mohanraj N, Mr. Gauis Willson Mr. Gopalakrishana S P., Mr. Venketesh, Mr. Boominathan D and Mr. Surendra Varma West Bengal Dr. Naveen Pandey Research team Ms. S. R. Sujata & Ms Anjali Compassion Unlimited Plus Action (CUPA) Dr. Roshan K Vijendravarma Post Doctoral Researcher, Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, 1015-Lausanne Switzerland Editorial Support, Layout and Design Ms. Nirupa Rao & Ms. Pooja Mitra Compassion Unlimited Plus Action (CUPA), Ms. Sharada Ramadass, Volunteer, Bangalore Mr. Ramesh Belagere Foundation for Ecology and Education Development (FEED) Bangalore Ms. Neema, Y.S, Bangalore Mr. V. Govinda Thirumalagraphics, Bnaglaore Adviser Prof. R. Sukumar Centre for Ecological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560 012 Co-Investigators Mrs. Suparna Baksi-Ganguly & Dr. Shiela Rao Compassion Unlimited Plus Action (CUPA), Flat D, Ground Floor, Kensington Apartments 18/1 Ulsoor Main Road, Ulsoor-560 008 India, & Wildlife Rescue & Rehabilitation Centre (WRRC), Bannerghatta Biological Park, Bangalore – 560083 Principal Investigator Mr. Surendra Varma Asian Elephant Research & Conservation Programme Asian Nature Conservation Foundation (ANCF), C/o CES, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560 012 Content Preface 1 Acknowledgments 4 Executive Summary 8 Recommendations 16 Recommendations for Different States in India 1 6 Andaman 17 Andhra Pradesh 18 Assam 19 Bihar 21 Gujarat 24 Karnataka and Tamil Nadu 25 Kerala 44 Maharashtra 52 Punjab 53 Rajasthan 55 West Bengal 56 Recommendations for Different Management Regimes in India 58 Circuses 59 Forest camps 60 Private ownerships 61 Temples/mutts/ashrams 62 Travelling & begging elephants 63 Zoos 63 Recommendations for management regimes classified as critical 65 Introduction & Objective 66 Method 70 General 71 Data processing 75 Concept and approaches 75 Population demography 75 Population prediction 76 Management & management regimes 76 Welfare status of elephants 76 The rating method 77 Results 80 Captive elephant management regimes 81 Captive elephant population India 87 Population demography 91 Population demography of the captive elephants studied 92 Age profile of the sampled population 94 Population prediction 101 Survival of observed elephants based on life expectancy 107 Source of elephants 118 Source of elephants for the observed states and regimes 109 Welfare status of elephants 114 Shelter 115 Status of shelter in different states 117 Status of shelter in regimes 117 Welfare ratings for shelter 120 Water 122 Status of water in different states 123 Status of water in different regimes 123 Welfare rating for water 126 Walk 127 Status of walk in different states 128 Status of walk in different regimes 128 Welfare rating for walk 130 Social interaction 131 Status of social interaction in different states 132 Status of social interaction in different regimes 133 Welfare rating for Social interaction 135 Chaining 137 Status of chaining in different states 138 Status of chaining in different regimes 139 Welfare rating for chaining 141 Behaviour 142 Status of behavior in different states 143 Status of behavior in different regimes 144 Welfare rating for behavior 144 Work 145 Status of work in different states in India 146 Status of work in different regimes 146 Welfare rating for work 152 Food 154 Status of food in different states 155 Status of food in different regimes 155 Welfare rating for food 161 Reproductive status 162 Status of reproduction in different states 163 Status of reproduction in different regimes 164 Welfare rating for reproductive status 165 Veterinary care and health status 168 Status of veterinary care and health in different states 169 Status of veterinary care and health in different regime 169 Welfare rating for veterinary care and health status 173 Overall welfare status of elephants in captivity 175 Elephant handlers’ profile 178 Professional experience and socio-economic status of elephant handlers 181 Welfare rating for handlers’ status 184 Discussion 188 Reference 194 Appendix 198 Appendix 1 199 Appendix II 200 Glossary 201 Preface The history of keeping elephants in captivity is over 5000 years old; in Asia alone, over 15000 elephants are kept in captivity with India reported to be having a captive population of 3000 to 4000 elephants. Commercial gain is the prime motivator for acquiring elephants, though there may be other reasons as well. Elephant usage was popularized in the recent colonial past, where elephants were the instruments to harvest the finest tropical evergreen and mixed forests in India. Currently, states like Andhra, Bihar, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Punjab and Rajasthan which are not elephant range states have captive elephants maintained as status symbols or used in temples, festivals, private functions, processions, elephant safaris, etc. States such as Andaman, Assam, Kerala and Tamil Nadu have, in addition to keeping elephants