The population of Asian elephants is on the decline globally, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). In addition to habitat loss and fragmentation, a range of diseases has also hit the elephant population.
In India, which houses more than 60% of Asian elephants, their population showed a decline of 10% in the 2017 census from the 2012 census which is between 29,319 and 30,711. The country has 27,312 elephants, according to the 2017 census and the southern region has around 11,000 elephants.
As per the 2018 census by the Kerala Forest and Wildlife Department, the State has 5,706 elephants. “There is a steady decline in the number of captive elephants in the State. Since the November 2018 census, 30 captive elephants have died in Kerala. If the number of captive elephants was 521 in 2018, it is 491 now. Seven elephants, between the age of 17 and 47, died in 2020 alone,” said V.K. Venkitachalam of the Thrissur-based Heritage Animal Task Force.
High incidence of diseases had led to the death of many captive elephants. Recent findings by the People for Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) reveals that incidence of tuberculosis is very high among captive Asian elephants. Impaction is one of the major disease manifestations, leading to the death of more than 25% of captive Asian elephants over the last 15 years.
No retirement
“Apart from unscientific feed management, climatic variation, poor stress management, over work, and cruelty to the animal lead to its poor health,” said T.P. Sethumadhavan, former director of the Kerala Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (KVASU).
Unlike other Asian countries, there is no retiring age for elephants in India. They are compelled to work till death. One elephant owner said strict regulatory measures resulted in less profitability. Arthritis, tuberculosis, and herpes also took a toll on both captive and wild elephants, said Dr. Sethumadhavan, who is also member, commission on education and communication, IUCN.
No festivals, no care
“As festivals in the State have been cancelled due to the COVID-19 lockdown, the elephants have been neglected. With the owners not making any profit, the animals are left without proper food or shelter. Many elephants develop severe foot rot disease as they are forced to stand in their urine and faeces,” Mr. Venkitachalam noted.
He alleged that the State Task Force and District Task Force, meant to check the abuse of elephants and their illegal transport, had not convened any sittings since they were constituted in 2016. Most of the captive elephants, except 30-odd ones, did not even have ownership certificates, he added.