Nov16
Confinement of Elephants to Zoos Banned in India
Posted at 01:20 PM | Permalink
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Comments (21)
Update: PETA India has just announced that it will give its 2009 Proggy Award for International Leadership in the Field of Animal Rights to India's Central Zoo Authority (CZA) in recognition of the government organization's decision to ban the use of elephants in zoos and circuses.
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That's right. India, which is home to an estimated 23,900 to 32,900 wild elephants, will no longer allow its most prominent national symbol—the elephant—to be imprisoned in zoos or forced to perform in circuses. The move by India's Central Zoo Authority (CZA) comes after years of campaigning by PETA India to improve conditions for captive elephants (it has already succeeded in getting performing elephants banned from Mumbai and other cities). PETA India repeatedly expressed concerns to the CZA about the mental and physical suffering endured by elephants when they are forced to spend all their time standing on hard concrete surfaces while confined to cramped enclosures that severely restrict their movement. Now the government has announced that all the elephants currently living in Indian zoos will be transferred to elephant camps run by the Forest Department. The camps will be located near protected areas, national parks, and wildlife sanctuaries in India.
Back in 2005, PETA India embarked on an investigation of 14 major zoos throughout the country and found appalling neglect at every single facility. The group discovered hungry animals who were forced to forage among rotten food and garbage, animals who were confined to barren cages and enclosures without so much as a blade of grass, and animals who were deprived of shelter from monsoons and the blazing Indian sun.
At the Aurangabad Municipal Zoo in Maharashtra, a PETA India investigator found that the elephants were confined to a bleak concrete enclosure. All the elephants were chained, and one was tethered by both front legs with a spiked chain, effectively (and painfully) preventing him from moving more than a few shuffling steps in any direction.
After Rajkumar, an elephant at the Mumbai zoo, attacked his keeper, his intensive confinement prompted PETA India to file a lawsuit against the zoo. The court ruled in PETA India's favor, and Rajkumar was moved to another zoo in 2007.
Over the years, PETA India's campaign against the abysmal conditions for animals in captivity has garnered support from numerous celebrities, including UK Big Brother veteran Shilpa Shetty, Beatles guru Ravi Shankar, and Shankar's daughter Anoushka.
Congratulations to PETA India on this groundbreaking victory. Now, if only North American zoos and circuses would follow suit.
Posted by Alisa Mullins
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Comments
Fantastic news!!!
Posted by: Aneliese | November 11, 2009 07:40 PM
Great news! Thanks for all your hard work, Peta India.
Posted by: lynda downie | November 11, 2009 08:50 PM
Thanks for the great work that you do. I am glad that other countries finally agree with us about how animals are treated.
Posted by: Jaynie | November 12, 2009 01:52 PM
Thank you India for all your hard work!
Power to the people of India for helping these elephants!
Posted by: Shari | November 12, 2009 02:56 PM
I love India. It's a democracy and home to approximately 300 million vegetarians.
Posted by: Brien Comerford | November 12, 2009 08:51 PM
this is truly a miracle..to get anything done is a task through asian officials...GOD BLESS PETA INDIA..
Posted by: lance | November 12, 2009 11:06 PM
Thats really nice. What I think is PETA and we the people should ban the zoo concept in India. It is really horrible to see the animals in such a miserable condition. I am an Indian and I had been to a zoo only once becaúse I was so moved to see the animals in such condition. Now that India has banned keeping elephants in zoo is a good start. We just have to make sure that these elephants in the camps are safe from the porchers!
I am so proud of PETA India.Good work.Well done.
Posted by: karuna | November 13, 2009 06:01 AM
Wonderful news Peta! Continue doing the great work you guys are doing...
Posted by: Ronesh Dhawraj | November 13, 2009 09:39 AM
Fantastic job PETA! Keep up the great work! Slowly we can remove this whole system of zoos for "entertainment" and move towards a system of safeguarding these all these species...
Posted by: Shruti | November 13, 2009 01:09 PM
Thanks to all the Heroes at Peta!!!!!!!
Posted by: carla | November 13, 2009 03:15 PM
PETA! you are Gods! My true super heros!
Posted by: Shiva | November 14, 2009 11:10 PM
truly a victory!
Posted by: simara | November 16, 2009 03:39 PM
Now... USA it's your turn!! Wake up and ban it in this Country!
Posted by: carla from USA | November 16, 2009 04:40 PM
WOW! I'm impressed.
Posted by: NT | November 16, 2009 05:20 PM
That's fantastic!
Posted by: Cindy | November 16, 2009 09:21 PM
I'm always amazed at how a lot of the poorer nations are able to make compassionate decisions without all the bureaucratic nonsense that countries such as the UK and America seem to face.
Posted by: Bluebell | November 17, 2009 01:47 PM
Great work by PETA India. I only wish this good work could continue and Zoo's as well as Circus's worldwide would be banned and brought to a complete stop. Zoo's, especially in 3rd world countries are atrocious and horrible, not even a Human Being would want to be in these conditions
Posted by: Hero Bhojwani | November 17, 2009 02:29 PM
WHAT A WORK BY PETA INDIA THANK U GOD BLESS PETA INDIA AND ALL PERSONS WHO PARTICIPTED IN THIS ELEPHANT CASE
Posted by: vatsal | November 26, 2009 06:36 AM
I think it's great that elephants are banned from zoos and circuses. I am not so sure about giving an award though - what about all the other animals that are not banned?
Posted by: AlexK | November 28, 2009 11:50 AM
Merci pour votre lutte. Continuez svp
Posted by: Mouhot Martine | December 1, 2009 07:55 AM
Thankyou Peta and India. Words cannot express how happy we are for the elephants. God Bless!!
Posted by: Linda P, | December 1, 2009 02:00 PM