Chennai, Aug 27 : More than 50 animal protection groups across India have urged the governments of Tamil Nadu and Uttarakhand to immediately halt the proposed transfer of a baby elephant from Uttarakhand to the Arulmigu Nellaiyappar Arultharum Kanthimathiamman Temple in Tirunelveli.

The appeal, addressed to Tamil Nadu's Ministers for Forests and Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments and to Uttarakhand's Forest Minister, warns that moving a wild calf of less than two years into temple captivity would cause lifelong suffering and violate multiple laws, including the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, the Captive Elephant (Transfer or Transport) Rules, 2024, and the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960.

According to enquiries, the Uttarakhand Forest Department verbally confirmed that the elephant is a wild male calf. The temple's earlier elephant, Gandhimati, died in January 2025 after years of illness, including diabetes and severe arthritis from confinement. Chennai-based People for Cattle India (PFCI), one of the signatories, has offered to donate a mechanical elephant to the temple as a compassionate alternative.

They noted that elephants in captivity are often broken through violent training, chained for life, and suffer isolation and abuse. Male elephants, in particular, face cruelty during musth, sometimes leading to fatal attacks on handlers or devotees.

In November 2024, elephant Deivanai killed her mahout and his relative in Tiruchendur, while past years have seen similar incidents in Trichy and other parts of India. The groups also cited a 2021 Madras High Court order that barred temples and private entities from acquiring new elephants, except for medical treatment.

They urged that the calf, instead of being forced into captivity, should be rewilded with expert help or relocated to a sanctuary where it can live unchained among its species. Advocating modern practices, the coalition highlighted that at least 20 temples in South India already use mechanical elephants, 11 of which were donated by PETA India.

In June this year, actor Trisha Krishnan and PFCI gifted one such elephant, 'Gaja,' to temples in Aruppukottai. The joint appeal, signed by animal welfare organisations from across Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, Uttarakhand, Delhi, and other regions, called on authorities to prioritise compassion and conservation over outdated practices of elephant captivity.

/IANS